THE 


LIFE,  HISTORY,  AND  TRAVELS, 


OF 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH 

(GEORGE  COPWAY), 

A  YOUNG  INDIAN  CHIEF  OF  THE  OJEBWA  NATION, 

A  CONVERT  TO  THE  CHRISTIAN  FAITH,  AND  A  MISSIONARY 
TO  HIS  PEOPLE  FOR  TWELVE  YEARS  ; 

WITH   A 

SKETCH  OF  THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE  OJEBWA  NATION, 

IN   REGARD    TO 

CHRISTIANITY  AND  THEIR  FUTURE  PROSPECTS. 
ALSO  AN  APPEAL; 

WITH    ALL    THE    NAMES    OF    THE    CHIEFS    NOW    LIVING,    WHO    HAVE 

BEEN   CHRISTIANIZED,   AND    THE  MISSIONARIES    NOW 

LABORING   AMONG   THEM. 


WRITTEN    BY   HIMSELF. 


ALBANY  : 

PRINTED    BY    WEED    AND    PARSONS, 

1847. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  on  the  9th  day  of  December,  1846, 
NY  GEORGE  COPWAY, 

Ju  the  Clerk's  Oflice  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Northern  Distiict  oi  the  Stale  of 
New-York. 


TO 

THE  CLERGY  AND  LAITY 

OF     THE 

AMERICAN    AND    BRITISH    DOMINIONS, 

THIS    BRIEF 

HISTORY  OF  A  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST, 

AND    OF 

HIS    NATION, 

IS  MOST  RESPECTFULLY  AND  AFFECTIONATELY 

INSCRIBED 

i;v 
T  H  E      AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

PREFACE, 5 

CHAPTER  I.  Early  life ;  Woods ;  Gods ;  Ojebwa  Nation,  etc. .. .       7 
II.  Customs;  Father  and  Mother ;  Religion  of  Ojeb  was,    23 

11         III.  Spirits;  Ojebwa  Worship  ;  Description,  etc 36 

"          IV.  Omens ;  Dreams ;  Anecdote ;  Devil's  Spittle, 48 

V.  Traditions;  Indians  and  Jews;  Migration;  Councils,     55 

VI.  Description  of  Rice  Lake ;  Rice ;  Fish ;  Village,  etc.     65 

"        VII.  Missionaries  first  visit ;  Conversion ;  Camp  Meeting,     70 

"      VIII.  My  Mother's  conversion  and  happy  death;  Grief,  ..     78 

IX.  My  Conversion ;  Beauty  of  Nature ;  Lake  Superior,     83 

X.  Kewawenon  Mission ;  Work  Spread;  Old  Anna,..     93 

XI.  Travels  to  La  Pointe ;  Ottawa  Lake ;  Battle  Grounds,  106 

"        XII.  Sent  to  School,  111.,  two  years ;  New-York;  Boston,  117 

"      XIII.  Return  to  Canada ;  Revivals  ;  Christmas ;  New- Year,  136 

"       XIV.  Wisconsin;  Mississippi;  Sufferings, 164 

"        XV.  Travels  to  Canada;  Presbyterian  Missionaries ;  Tri 
als;  Paid  by  Government ;  Journey  to  Toronto,  179 
"      XVI.  General  Council ;   Speeches  ;    Order ;   Documents, 
etc.;   Manual  Labor  School;  Plan,  or  Remedy 

for  the  preservation  of  the  different  tribes, 188 

"  XVII.  Geographical  Sketch  of  the  Ojebwa  Nation ;  Mis 
sions  ;  Presbyterians ;  Methodists ;  Baptists ;  Ap 
peal  to  Christians  in  America, 203 


VI.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

1 .  Chippewas  on  the  River  Thames, 207 

2.  Chippewas  at  Amherstburg, 208 

3.  Chippewas  of  St.  Clair, 209 

4.  Chippewas  at  Walpole  Island, 210 

5.  Chippewas  of  the  River  Credit, 210 

6.  Chippewas  of  Alnwick, 211 

7.  Chippewas  at  Rice  Lake, 212 

8.  Chippewas  at  Mud  Lake, 212 

9.  Chippewas  at  Balsam  Lake, 213 

10.  Chippewas  of  Rama, 213 

11.  Chippewas  of  Beausoliel  Island,  Matchadisk  Bay,  Lake  Huron,  214 

12.  Chippewas  of  Snake  Island,  Lake  Simcoe, 21f> 

13.  Chippewas  of  Saugeeng  (Lake  Huron), 215 

14.  Chippewas  of  Big  Bay,  in  Owen's  Sound,  Lake  Huron, 21G 

15.  Chippewas  and  others,  in  the  Township  of  Bedford, 2 1(5 


A  WORD  TO  THE  READER, 

IT  would  be  presumptuous  in  one,  who  has  but  recently  been 
brought  out  of  a  wild  and  savage  state ;  and  who  has  since 
received  but  three  years'  schooling,  to  undertake,  without  any 
assistance,  to  publish  to  the  world  a  work  of  any  kind.  It  is 
but  a  few  years  since  I  began  to  speak  the  English  language. 
An  unexpected  opportunity  occurred  of  submitting  my  manu 
script  to  a  friend,  who  has  kindly  corrected  all  serious  grammati 
cal  errors,  leaving  the  unimportant  ones  wholly  untouched,  that 
my  own  style  may  be  exhibited  as  truly  as  possible.  The 
public,  the  printers,  and  myself,  are  indebted  to  him  for  his 
kind  aid,  and  he  has  my  most  sincere  thanks.  The  Printers, 
also,  will  accept  my  hearty  thanks  for  their  kind  indulgence  in 
affording  me  every  facility  in  their  power,  in  bringing  out  the 
work  in  so  short  a  time,  and  for  '  getting  it  up '  with  so  much 
neatness.  The  language  (except  in  a  few  short  sentences),  the 
plan,  and  the  arrangement  are  all  my  own ;  and  I  am  whol 
ly  responsible  for  all  the  statements,  and  the  remaining  de 
fects.  My  work  is  now  accomplished ;  and  I  am  too  well 
aware  of  the  many  faults  which  are  still  to  be  found  therein. 
Little  could  I  imagine,  that  I  should  have  to  contend  with  so 


VIL  A   WORD   TO   THE   READER. 

many  obstacles.  All  along,  have  I  felt  my  great  deficiency ; 
and  my  inadequacy  for  such  an  undertaking.  I  would  fain 
hope,  however,  that  the  kind  Reader  will  throw  the  mantle  of 
charity  over  errors  of  every  kind.  I  am  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land  !  And  often,  when  the  sun  is  sinking  in  the  western  sky, 
I  think  of  my  former  home  ;  my  heart  yearns  for  the  loved  of 
other  days,  and  tears  flow  like  the  summer  rain.  How  the 
heart  of  the  wanderer  and  pilgrim,  after  long  years  of  absence, 
beats,  and  his  eyes  fill,  as  he  catches  a  glance  at  the  hills  of 
his  nativity,  and  reflects  upon  the  time  when  he  pressed  the 
lips  of  a  Mother,  or  Sister,  now  cold  in  death.  Should  I  live, 
this  painful  pleasure  will  yet  be  mine.  Blessed  be  the  Lord, 
who  hath  helped  me  hitherto." 

KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH, 

ALIAS 

GEORGE  COPWAY. 

ALBANY,  January,  1847. 


PREFACE. 

IN  presenting  my  life  to  the  public,  I  do  so 
with  the  greatest  diffidence,  and  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  numerous  friends,  I  am  an  In 
dian,  and  am  well  aware  of  the  difficulties  I 
have  to  encounter  to  win  the  favorable  notice  of 
the  white  man.  Yet  one  great  object  prompts 
me  to  persevere,  and  that  is,  that  I  may,  in  con 
nection  with  my  life,  present  the  present  state 
and  prospects  of  my  poor  countrymen  —  feeling 
that  the  friends  of  humanity  may  still  labor  and 
direct  their  benevolence  to  those  who  were  once 
the  lords  of  the  land  on  w^hich  the  white  man 
lives — and  assist  in  rescuing  them  from  an  un 
timely  and  unchristian  grave, 

I  have  noticed  some  of  our  prominent  chiefs 
now  living;  the  missionaries  laboring  amongst 
my  people ;  the  extent  of  the  missionary  field ; 


6  PREFACE. 

and  an  appeal  to  all  who  feel  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  the  Indian  race. 

If  ever  I  see  the  day  when  my  people  shall 
become  happy  and  prosperous,  I  shall  then  feel 
great  and  lasting  pleasure,  which  will  more  than 
repay  me  for  the  pain,  both  of  body  and  mind, 
which  I  have  endured  for  the  last  twelve  years. 
My  motto  is —  "  My  poor  People" 

In  all  my  crooked  paths,  I  have  endeavored  to 
mean  well.  I  thank  my  friends  for  their  kind 
gifts  and  wishes.  Yet  still  as  much,  and  more, 
remains  to  be  accomplished. 

Pray  for  us  —  that  religion  and  science  may  lead 
us  on  to  intelligence  and  virtue ;  that  we  may 
imitate  the  good  white  man,  who,  like  the  eagle, 
builds  its  nest  on  the  top  of  some  high  rock  — 
science ;  that  we  may  educate  our  children,  and 
turn  their  minds  to  God.  Help  us,  O  help  us  to 
live — and  teach  us  to  die  a  Christian's  death, 
that  our  spirits  may  mingle  with  the  blessed 
above. 

KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH. 


THE  LIFE  OF 

KAH-GE-GA-GM-BOWH. 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE  Christian  will  no  doubt  feel  for  my  poor 
people,  when  he  hears  the  story  of  one  brought 
from  that  unfortunate  race  called  the  Indians. 
The  lover  of  humanity  will  be  glad  to  see  that 
that  once  powerful  race  can  be  made  to  enjoy 
the  blessings  of  life. 

What  was  once  impossible  —  or  rather  thought 
to  be — is  made  possible  through  my  experience. 
I  have  made  many  close  observations  of  men, 
and  things  around  me ;  but,  I  regret  to  say,  that 
I  do  not  think  I  have  made  as  good  use  of  my 
opportunities  as  I  might  have  done.  It  will  be 
seen  that  I  know  but  little  —  yet  O  how  precious 
that  little ! — I  would  rather  loose  my  right  hand 
than  be  deprived  of  it. 


8  THE   LIFE   OF 

I  loved  the  woods,  and  the  chase.  I  had  the 
nature  for  it,  and  gloried  in  nothing  else.  The 
mind  for  letters  was  in  me,  but  was  asleep,  till  the 
dawn  of  Christianity  arose,  and  awoke  the  slum 
bers  of  the  soul  into  energy  and  action. 

You  will  see  that  I  served  the  imaginary  gods 
of  my  poor  blind  father.  I  was  out  early  and  late 
in  quest  of  the  favors  of  the  Mon-e-doos  (spirits), 
who,  it  was  said,  were  numerous  —  who  filled  the 
air !  At  early  dawn  I  watched  the  rising  of  the 
palace  of  the  Great  Spirit  — -  the  sun  — -  who,  it  was 
said,  made  the  world ! 

Early  as  I  can  recollect,  I  was  taught  that 
it  was  the  gift  of  the  many  spirits  to  be  a  good 
hunter  and  warrior ;  and  much  of  my  time  I  de 
voted  in  search  of  their  favors.  On  the  moun 
tain  top,  or  along  the  valley,  or  the  water  brook, 
I  searched  for  some  kind  intimation  from  the  spi 
rits  who  made  their  residence  in  the  noise  of 
the  water  falls, 

I  dreaded  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  angry  spirit 
in  the  gathering  clouds.  I  looked  with  anxiety 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  wings  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  who  shrouded  himself  in  rolling  white 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  9 

and  dark  clouds  —  who,  with  his  wings,  fan 
ned  the  earth,  and  laid  low  the  tall  pines  and 
hemlock  in  his  course  —  who  rode  in  whirlwinds 
and  tornadoes,  and  plucked  the  trees  from  their 
woven  roots- — who  chased  other  gods  from  his 
course  —  who  drove  the  Bad  Spirit  from  the  sur 
face  of  the  earth,  down  to  the  dark  caverns  of 
the  deep.  Yet  he  was  a  kind  spirit.  My  father 
taught  me  to  call  that  spirit  Ke-sha-mon-e-doo  — 
Benevolent  spirit  —  for  his  ancestors  taught  him 
no  other  name  to  give  to  that  spirit  who  made 
the  earth,  with  all  its  variety  and  smiling  beauty. 
His  benevolence  I  saw  in  the  running  of  the 
streams,  for  the  animals  to  quench  their  thirst 
and  the  fishes  to  live;  the  fruit  of  the  earth 
teemed  wherever  I  looked.  Every  thing  I  saw 
smilingly  said  Ke-sha-mon-e-doo  nin-ge-oo-she-ig 
—  the  Benevolent  spirit  made  me. 

Where  is  he  ?  My  father  pointed  to  the  sun. 
What  is  his  will  concerning  me,  and  the  rest  of 
the  Indian  race?  This  was  a  question  that  I 
found  no  one  could  answer,  until  a  beam  from 
heaven  shone  on  my  pathway,  which  was  very 
dark,  when  first  I  saw  that  there  was  a  true  hea- 


10  THE   LIFE   OF 

ven  —  not  in  the  far-setting  sun,  where  the  In 
dian  anticipated  a  rest,  a  home  for  his  spirit  — 
but  in  the  bosom  of  the  Highest. 

I  view  my  life  like  the  mariner  on  the  wide 
ocean,  without  a  compass,  in  the  dark  night,  as 
he  watches  the  heavens  for  the  north  star,  which 
his  eye  having  discovered,  he  makes  his  way 
amidst  surging  seas,  and  tossed  by  angry  billows 
into  the  very  jaws  of  death,  till  he  arrives  safely 
anchored  at  port.  I  have  been  tossed  with  hope 
and  fear  in  this  life ;  no  star-light  shone  on  my 
way,  until  the  men  of  God  pointed  me  to  a  Star 
in  the  East,  as  it  arose  with  all  its  splendor  and 
glory.  It  was  the  Star  of  Bethlehem.  I  could 
now  say  in  the  language  of  the  poet  — 

"  Once  on  the  raging  seas  I  rode, 

The  storm  was  loud,  the  night  was  dark ; 
The  ocean  yawned,  and  rudely  blowed 
The  wind  that  tossed  my  foundered  bark." 

Yes,  I  hope  to  sing  some  day  in  the  realms  of 
bliss  — 

"  It  was  my  guide,  my  light,  my  all ! 
It  bade  my  dark  foreboding  cease ; 
And  through  the  storms  and  danger's  thrawl, 
It  led  me  to  the  port  of  peace." 

I  have  not  the  happiness  of  being  able  to  refer 
to  written  records  in  narrating  the  history  of  my 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  1 1 

forefathers ;  but  I  can  reveal  to  the  world  what 
has  long  been  laid  up  in  my  memory;  so  that 
when  "I  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth,"  the  crook 
ed  and  singular  paths  which  I  have  made  in  the 
world,  may  not  only  be  a  warning  to  others,  but 
may  inspire  them  with  a  trust  in  God.  And  not 
only  a  warning  and  a  trust,  but  also  that  the  world 
d  may  learn  that  there  once  lived  such  a  man  as 
Kah-ge-ga-gah-bowh,  when  they  read  his  griefs 
and  his  joys. 

My  parents  were  of  the  Ojebwa  nation,  who 
lived  on  the  lake  back  of  Cobourg,  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Ontario,  Canada  West.  The  lake  called 
Rice  Lake,  where  there  was  a  great  quantity  of 
wild  rice,  and  much  game  of  different  kinds, 
before  the  whites  cleared  away  the  woods,  where 
the  deer  and  the  bear  then  resorted. 

My  father  and  mother  were  taught  the  religion 
of  their  nation.  My  father  became  a  medicine 
man  in  the  early  part  of  his  life,  and  always  had 
by  him  the  implements  of  war,  which  generally 
distinguish  our  head  men.  He  was  as  good  a 
hunter  as  any  in  the  tribe.  Very  few  brought 
more  furs  than  he  did  in  the  spring.  Every 


12  THE   LIFE   OF 

spring  they  returned  from  their  hunting  grounds. 
The  Ojebwas  each  claimed,  and  claim  to  this 
day,  hunting  grounds,  riyers,  lakes,  and  whole 
districts  of  country.  No  one  hunted  on  each 
other's  ground.  My  father  had  the  northern  fork 
of  the  river  Trent,  above  Bellmont  lake. 

My  great-grandfather  was  the  first  who  ven 
tured  to  settle  at  Rice  Lake,  after  the  Ojebwa  na 
tion  defeated  the  Hurons,  who  once  inhabited  all 
the  lakes  in  Western  Canada,  and  who  had  a 
large  village  just  on  the  top  of  the  hill  of  the  An 
derson  farm,  (which  was  afterwards  occupied  by 
the  Ojebwas,)  and  which  furnished  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  lakes  and  surrounding  country.  He 
was  of  the  Crane  tribe,  i.  e.  had  a  crane  for  his  to 
tem—  coat  of  arms  -—which  now  forms  the  totem 
of  the  villagers,  excepting  those  who  have  since 
come  amongst  us  from  other  villages  by  intermar 
riage,  for  there  was  a  law  that  no  one  was  to 
marry  one  of  the  same  totem,  for  all  considered 
each  other  as  being  related .  He  must  have  been  a 
daring  adventurer  —  a  warrior  —  for  no  one  would 
have  ventured  to  go  and  settle  down  on  the  land 
from  which  they  had  just  driven  the  Hurons, 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  13 

whom  the  Ojebwas  conquered  and  reduced,  un 
less  he  was  a  great  hero.  It  is  said  that  he  lived 
about  the  islands  of  Rice  Lake,  secreting  himself 
from  the  enemy  for  several  years,  until  some  others 
came  and  joined  him,  when  they  formed  a  settle 
ment  on  one  of  the  islands.  He  must  have  been 
a  great  hunter,  for  this  was  one  of  the  principal 
inducements  that  made  him  venture  there,  for 
there  must  have  been  abundance  of  game  of 
every  kind.  The  Ojebwas  are  called,  here  and 
all  around,  Massissaugays,  because  they  came 
from  Me-sey  Sah-gieng,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Hu 
ron,  as  you  go  up  to  Sault  St.  Marie  falls. 

Here  he  lived  in  jeopardy  —  with  his  life  in  his 
hand  —  enduring  the  unpleasant  idea  that  he 
lived  in  the  land  of  bones  —  amidst  the  gloom, 
which  shrouded  the  once  happy  and  populous 
village  of  the  Hurons ;  here  their  bones  lay  broad 
cast  around  his  wigwam;  where,  among  these 
woods  once  rang  the  war  cry  of  the  Hurons,  echo 
ing  along  the  valley  of  the  river  Trent,  but  whose 
sinewed  arms  now  laid  low,  with  their  badges 
and  arms  of  war,  in  one  common  grave,  near 
the  residence  of  Peter  Anderson,  Esq.  Their 


14  THE    LIFE   OF 

graves,  forming  a  hillock,  are  now  all  that  remain 
of  this  once  powerful  nation.  Their  bones,  gun 
barrels,  tomahawks,  war  spears,  large  scalping 
knives,  are  yet  to  be  found  there.  This  must 
have  taken  place  soon  after  the  formation  of  the 
settlement  in  Quebec. 

The  Crane  tribe  became  the  sole  proprietors  of 
this  part  of  the  Ojebwa  land ;  the  descendants  of 
this  tribe  will  continue  to  wear  the  distinguish 
ing  sign;  except  in  a  few  instances,  the  chiefs 
are  of  this  tribe. 

My  grandfather  lived  here  about  this  time,  and 
held  some  friendly  intercourse  with  the  whites. 
My  father  here  learned  the  manners,  customs,  and 
worship  of  the  nation.  He,  and  others,  became 
acquainted  with  the  early  settlers,  and  have  ever 
been  friendly  with  the  whites.  And  I  know  the 
the  day  when  he  used  to  shake  the  hand  of  the 
white  man,  and,  very  friendly,  the  white  man 
would  say,  " take  some  whiskey"  When  he  saw 
any  hungering  for  venison,  he  gave  them  to  eat ; 
and  some,  in  return  for  his  kindness,  have  repaid 
him  after  they  became  good  and  great  farmers. 

My  mother  was  of  the  Eagle  tribe  ;  she  was  a 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  15 

sensible  woman;  she  was  as  good  a  hunter  as 
any  of  the  Indians ;  she  could  shoot  the  deer,  and 
the  ducks  flying",  as  well  as  they.  Nature  had 
done  a  great  deal  for  her,  for  she  was  active ;  and 
she  was  much  more  cleanly  than  the  majority  of 
our  women  in  those  days.  She  lived  to  see  the 
day  when  most  of  her  children  were  given  up  to 
the  Lord  in  Christian  baptism ;  while  she  experi 
enced  a  change  of  heart,  and  the  fullness  of  God 
in  man,  for  she  lived  daily  in  the  enjoyment  of 
God's  favors.  I  will  speak  more  of  her  at  a  proper 
time,  respecting  her  life  and  happy  death. 

My  father  still  lives;  he  is  from  sixty-five  to 
seventy  years  old,  and  is  one  of  the  chiefs  of  Rice 
Lake  Indian  Village.  He  used  to  love  fire-water 
before  he  was  converted  to  God,  but  now  lives  in 
the  enjoyment  of  religion,  and  he  is  happy  with 
out  the  devil's  spittle — whiskey.  If  Christianity 
had  not  come,  and  the  grace  of  God  had  not 
taken  possession  of  his  heart,  his  head  would  soon 
have  been  laid  low  beneath  the  fallen  leaves  of 
the  forest,  and  I,  left,  in  my  youthful  days,  an 
orphan.  But  to  God  be  all  the  praise  for  his  time 
ly  deliverance. 


16  THE   LIFE   OF 

The  reader  will  see  that  I  cannot  boast  of  an 
exalted  parentage,  nor  trace  the  past  history  to 
some  renowned  warrior  in  days  of  yore,  but  let 
the  above  suffice.  My  fathers  were  those  who 
endured  much ;  who  first  took  possession  of  the 
conquered  lands  of  the  Hurons. 

I  was  born  in  nature's  wide  domain !  The  trees 
were  all  that  sheltered  my  infant  limbs  —  the  blue 
heavens  all  that  covered  me.  I  am  one  of  na 
ture's  children;  I  have  always  admired  her;  she 
shall  be  my  glory;  her  features — her  robes,  and 
the  wreath  about  her  brow — the  seasons — her 
stately  oaks,  and  the  evergreen — her  hair — ring 
lets  over  the  earth,  all  contribute  to  my  enduring 
love  of  her ;  and  wherever  I  see  her,  emotions  of 
pleasure  roll  in  my  breast,  and  swell  and  burst 
like  waves  on  the  shores  of  the  ocean,  in  prayer 
and  praise  to  Him,  who  has  placed  me  in  her 
hand.  It  is  thought  great  to  be  born  in  palaces, 
surrounded  with  wealth — but  to  be  born  in  na 
ture's  wide  domain  is  greater  still! 

I  was  born  sometime  in  the  fall  of  1818,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river  Trent,  called  in  our  lan 
guage,  Sah-ge-dah-we-ge-wah-noong,  while  my 


K  AH-GE-G  A-G  AH-BO  WH .  1 7 

father  and  mother  were  attending  the  annual  dis 
tribution  of  the  presents  from  the  government  to 
the  Indians.  I  was  the  third  of  our  family ;  a 
brother  and  sister  being  older,  both  of  whom  died. 
My  brother  died  without  the  knowledge  of  the 
Saviour,  but  my  sister  experienced  the  power  of 
the  loving  grace  of  God.  One  brother,  and  two 
step-brothers,  are  still  alive* 

I  remember  the  tall  trees,  and  the  dark  woods 

—  the  swamp  just  by,  where  the  little  wren  sang 
so  melodiously  after  the  going  down  of  the  sun 
in  the  west — the  current  of  the  broad  river  Trent 

—  the  skipping  of  the  fish,  and  the  noise  of  the 
rapids  a  little  above.     It  was  here  I  first  saw  the 
light ;  a  little  fallen-down  shelter,  made  of  ever 
greens,  and  a  few  dead  embers,  the  remains  of 
the  last  fire  that  shed  its  genial  warmth  around, 
were  all  that  marked  the  spot.     When  I  last  vi 
sited  it,  nothing  but  fur  poles  stuck  in  the  ground, 
and  they  were  leaning  on  account  of  decay.     Is 
this  dear  spot,  made  green  by  .the  tears  of  me 
mory,  any  less  enticing  and  hallowed  than  the 
palaces  where  princes  are  born  ?     I  would  much 
*nore  glory  in  this  birth-place,  with  the  broad  ca- 


18  THE   LIFE   OF 

nopy  of  heaven  above  me,  and  the  giant  arms  of 
the  forest  trees  for  my  shelter,  than  to  be  born  in 
palaces  of  marble,  studded  with  pillars  of  gold ! 
Nature  will  be  nature  still,  while  palaces  shall 
decay  and  fall  in  ruins.  Yes,  Niagara  will  be 
Niagara  a  thousand  years  hence!  the  rainbow, 
a  wreath  over  her  brow,  shall  continue  as  long  as 
the  sun,  and  the  flowing  of  the  river !  While 
the  work  of  art,  however  impregnable,  shall  in 
atoms  fall. 

Our  wigwam  we  always  carried  with  us  wher 
ever  we  went.  It  was  made  in  the  following 
manner:  Poles  were  cut  about  fifteen  feet  long; 
three  with  crotches  at  the  end,  which  were  stuck 
in  the  ground  some  distance  apart,  the  upper 
ends  meeting,  and  fastened  with  bark ;  and  then 
other  poles  were  cut  in  circular  form  and  bound 
round  the  first,  and  then  covered  with  plaited 
reeds,  or  sewed  birch  bark,  leaving  an  opening  on 
top  for  the  smoke  to  escape.  The  skins  of  ani 
mals  formed  a  covering  for  a  gap,  which  answered 
for  a  door.  The  family  all  seated  tailor-fashion 
on  mats.  In  the  fall  and  winter  they  were  gene 
rally  made  more  secure,  for  the  purpose  of  keep- 


K  AH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  1 9 

ing  out  the  rain  and  cold.  The  covering  of  our 
wigwam  was  always  carried  by  my  mother,  when 
ever  we  went  through  the  woods.  In  the  sum 
mer  it  was  easier  and  pleasanter  to  move  about 
from  place  to  place,  than  in  the  winter.  In  the 
summer  we  had  birch  bark  canoes,  and  with  these 
we  traveled  very  rapidly  and  easily.  In  the  win 
ter  every  thing  was  carried  upon  the  back.  I 
have  known  some  Indians  to  carry  a  whole  deer — 
not  a  small  one,  but  a  buck.  If  an  Indian  could 
lift  up  his  pack  off  the  ground  by  means  of  his 
arms,  it  was  a  good  load,  not  too  light  nor  too 
heavy.  I  once  carried  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
six  weight  of  flour,  twelve  pounds  of  shot,  five 
pounds  of  coffee,  and  some  sugar,  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  without  resting — the  flour  was  in  two 
bags.  It  felt  very  heavy.  This  was  since  I  tra 
veled  with  the  missionaries,  in  going  over  one  of 
the  portages  in  the  west. 

Our  summer  houses  were  made  like  those  in 
gardens  among  the  whites,  except  that  the  skele 
ton  is  covered  with  bark. 

The  hunting  grounds  of  the  Indians  were  se 
cured  by  right,  a  law  and  custom  among  them- 


20  THE   LIFE   OF 

selves.  No  one  was  allowed  to  hunt  on  another's 
land,  without  invitation  or  permission.  If  any 
person  was  found  trespassing  on  the  ground  of 
another,  all  his  things  were  taken  from  him,  ex 
cept  a  hand  full  of  shot,  powder  sufficient  to  serve 
him  in  going  straight  home,  a  gun,  a  tomahawk, 
and  a  knife ;  all  the  fur,  and  other  things,  were 
taken  from  him.  If  he  were  found  a  second  time 
trespassing,  all  his  things  were  taken  away  from 
him,  except  food  sufficient  to  subsist  on  while  go 
ing  home.  And  should  he  still  come  a  third  time 
to  trespass  on  the  same,  or  another  man's  hunting 
grounds,  his  nation,  or  tribe,  are  then  informed 
of  it,  who  take  up  his  case.  If  still  he  disobey,  he 
is  banished  from  his  tribe, 

My  father's  hunting  ground  was  at  the  head  of 
Crow  River,  a  branch  of  the  Eiver  Trent,  north 
of  the  Prince  Edward  District,  Canada  West 
There  are  two  branches  to  this  river — one  belongs 
to  George  Poudash,  one  of  the  principal  chiefs  of 
our  nation ;  the  other  to  my  father ;  and  the  Crow 
River  belongs  to  another  chief  by  the  name  of 
John  Crow.  During  the  last  war  the  Indians  did 
not  hunt  or  fish  much  for  nearly  six  years,  and 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  21 

at  the  end  of  that  time  there  were  large  quantities 
of  beaver,  otter,  minks,  lynx,  fishes,  &c. 

These  hunting  grounds  abound  with  rivers  and 
lakes;  the  face  of  the  country  is  swampy  and 
rocky;  the  deer  and  the  bear  abound  in  these 
woods ;  part  of  the  surrendered  territory  is  includ 
ed  in  it.  In  the  year  1818,  1,800,000  acres  of  it 
were  surrendered  to  the  British  government.  For 
how  much,  do  you  ask  ?  For  $2,960  per  annum ! 
What  a  great  sum  for  British  generosity ! 

Much  of  the  back  country  still  remains  unsold, 
and  I  hope  the  scales  will  be  removed  from  the 
eyes  of  my  poor  countrymen,  that  they  may  see 
the  robberies  perpetrated  upon  them,  before  they 
surrender  another  foot  of  territory. 

From  these  lakes  and  rivers  come  the  best  furs 
that  are  caught  in  Western  Canada.  Buyers  of  fur 
get  large  quantities  from  here.  They  are  then 
shipped  to  New- York  city,  or  to  England.  When 
ever  fruit  is  plenty,  bears  are  also  plenty,  and 
there  is  much  bear  hunting.  Before  the  whites 
came  amongst  us,  the  skins  of  these  animals 
served  for  clothing ;  they  are  now  sold  from  three 
to  eight  dollars  a  piece. 


22  THE   LIFE    OF 

My  father  generally  took  one  or  two  families 
with  him  when  he  went  to  hunt;  all  were  to 
hunt,  and  place  their  gains  into  one  common 
stock  till  spring  (for  they  were  often  out  all  win 
ter),  when  a  division  took  place. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH,  23 


CHAPTER  H. 

IN  the  fall  we  gathered  the  wild  rice,  and  in 
the  winter  we  were  in  the  interior.  Some  win 
ters  we  suffered  most  severely,  on  account  of  the 
depth  of  snow,  and  the  cold ;  our  wigwams  were 
often  buried  in  snow.  We  not  only  suffered 
from  the  snow  and  the  cold,  but  from  hunger. 
Our  party  would  be  unable  to  hunt,  and  being  far 
from  the  white  settlements,  we  were  often  in 
want  of  food.  I  will  narrate  a  circumstance  of 
our  sufferings,  when  I  come  to  speak  of  the  actual 
condition  of  our  people,  before  Christianity  was 
introduced  among  us,  which,  when  I  think  of  it, 
I  can  not  but  bless  God  for  his  preserving  kindness 
to  us,  in  sparing  us  to  hear  his  blessed  word. 

Soon  after  being  christianized,  my  father  and 
another  Indian,  by  the  name  of  Big  John,  and 
myself,  went  out  hunting;  my  father  left  his 
family  near  the  mission  station,  living  in  the 


24  THE    LIFE   OF 

wigwam.  While  we  were  out  on  the  hunting 
grounds,  we  found  out  that  some  Indians  had 
gone  before  us  on  the  route  up  the  river,  and  every 
day  we  gained  upon  them;  their  tracks  were 
fresh.  The  river  and  the  lakes  were  frozen,  and 
we  had  to  walk  on  the  ice.  For  some  days  toge 
ther  we  did  not  fire  a  gun,  for  fear  they  would 
hear  it  and  go  from  us,  where  we  could  not  find 
them.  At  length  we  found  them  by  the  banks  of 
the  river ;  they  were  Nah-doo-ways  or  Mohawks, 
from  Bay  Quinty;  there  were  seven  of  them, 
tall  fellows.  We  shook  hands  with  them ;  they 
received  us  kindly.  My  father  had  determined 
to  take  all  they  had,  if  we  should  overtake  them. 
After  they  gave  us  a  good  dinner  of  boiled  bea 
ver,  my  father  stepped  across  the  fire  and  ripped 
open  two  packs  of  beaver  furs,  that  were  just  by 
him.  He  said  to  them  "  We  have  only  one 
custom  among  us,  and  that  is  well  known  to 
all ;  this  river,  and  all  that  is  in  it  are  mine ;  I 
have  come  up  the  river  behind  you,  and  you  ap 
pear  to  have  killed  all  before  you.  This  is  mine, 
and  this  is  is  mine,"  he  said,  as  he  touched  with 
the  handle  of  his  tomahawk  each  of  the  packs 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  25 

of  beaver,  otter,  and  muskrat  skins.  I  expected 
every  moment  to  see  my  father  knocked  down 
with  a  tomahawk,  but  none  dared  touch  him ; 
he  counted  the  skins  and  then  threw  them  across 
the  fire-place  to  us.  After  this  was  done,  the  same 
thing  took  place  with  the  guns;  only  one  was 
left  them  to  use  on  their  way  home.  He  talked 
to  them  by  signs,  and  bade  them,  as  the  sailors 
say,  "weigh  anchor  and  soon  be  under  way"; 
they  left,  and  we  took  possession  of  the  temporary 
wigwam  they  had  built.  We  never  saw  them  af 
terwards  on  our  hunting  grounds,  though  some  of 
them  have  been  there  since. 

My  father  was  ever  kind  and  affectionate  to  me, 
particularly  after  the  death  of  my  brother,  which 
was  occasioned  by  the  going  off  of  a  gun,  the  load 
passing  through  the  arm  and  so  fractured  it  that  it 
soon  mortified  and  caused  his  death.  He  be 
lieved  in  persuasion ;  I  know  not  that  he  ever 

•  used  harsh  means,  but  would  talk  to  me  for  hours 
together.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  he  would  call 

!  me  to  his  side  and  begin  to  talk,  and  tell  me  that 
the  Great  Spirit  would  bless  me  with  a  long  life 
if  I  should  love  my  friends,  and  particularly  the 


26  THE   LIFE   OF 

aged.  He  would  always  take  me  with  him 
when  going  any  where  near,  and  I  learned  his 
movements,  for  I  watched  him  going  through  the 
woods.  Often  would  he  tell  me  that  when  I 
should  be  a  man  that  I  must  do  so,  and  so,  and  do 
as  he  did,  while  fording  the  rivers,  shooting  the 
deer,  trapping  the  beaver,  etc.,  etc.  I  always 
imitated  him  while  I  was  a  hunter. 

My  mother  was  also  kind  and  affectionate ; 
she  seemed  to  be  happy  when  she  saw  us  enjoy 
ing  ourselves  by  her ;  often  she  would  not  eat 
much  for  days  together ;  she  would  leave  all  for 
us !  She  was  an  industrious  woman ;  in  the  spring 
she  made  more  sugar  than  any  one  else;  she 
was  never  idle  while  the  season  for  gathering  wild 
rice  lasted. 

I  was  taught  early  to  hunt  the  deer.  It  was  a 
part  of  our  father's  duty  to  teach  us  how  to  handle 
the  gun  as  well  as  the  bow  and  arrow.  I  was 
early  reminded  to  hunt  for  myself;  a  thirst  to  ex 
cel  in  hunting  began  to  increase ;  no  pains  were 
spared,  no  fatigue  was  too  great,  and  at  all  seasons 
I  found  something  to  stimulate  me  to  exertion, 
that  I  might  become  a  good  hunter.  For  years  I 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  27 

followed  my  father,  observed  how  he  approached 
the  deer,  the  manner  of  getting  it  upon  his  shoul 
ders  to  carry  it  home.  The  appearance  of  the 
sky,  the  sound  of  distant  water-falls  in  the  morn 
ing,  the  appearance  of  the  clouds  and  the  winds, 
were  to  be  noticed.  The  step,  and  the  gesture, 
in  traveling  in  search  of  the  deer,  were  to  be  ob 
served. 

Many  a  lecture  I  received  when  the  deer  lay 
bleeding  at  the  feet  of  my  father ;  he  would  give 
me  an  account  of  the  nobleness  of  the  hunter's 
deeds,  and  said  that  I  should  never  be  in  want 
whenever  there  was  any  game,  and  that  many  a 
i  poor  aged  man  could  be  assisted  by  me.  "  If 
you  reverence  the  aged,  many  will  be  glad  to  hear  of 
your  name"  were  the  words  of  my  father.  "  The 
poor  man  will  say  to  his  children,  '  my  children, 
let  us  go  to  him,  for  he  is  a  great  hunter,  and  is 
kind  to  the  poor,  he  will  not  turn  us  away  empty.' 
The  Great  Spirit,  who  has  given  the  aged  a  long 
life,  will  bless  you.  You  must  never  laugh  at 
any  suffering  object,  for  you  know  not  how  soon 
you  may  be  in  the  same  condition :  never  kill  any 
game  needlessly."  Such  was  his  language  when 


28  THE   LIFE   OP 

we  were  alone  in  the  woods.  Ah !  they  were  les 
sons  directed  from  heaven. 

In  the  spring  but  few  deer  were  killed,  because 
they  were  not  in  good  order,  the  venison  being 
poor,  and  the  skin  so  thin,  that  it  was  no  object 
to  kill  them.  To  hunt  deer  in  the  summer  was 
my  great  delight,  which  I  did  in  the  following 
manner:  —  During  the  day  I  looked  for  their 
tracks,  as  they  came  on  the  shore  of  the  lake  or 
river  during  the  night ;  they  came  there  to  feed. 
If  they  came  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  I  lighted 
pitch  pine,  and  the  current  of  the  river  took  the 
canoe  along  the  shore.  My  lantern  was  so  con 
structed  that  the  light  could  not  fall  on  one  spot, 
but  swept  along  the  shore.  The  deer  could  see  the 
light,  but  were  not  alarmed  by  it,  continued  feed 
ing  on  the  weeds.  In  this  way,  I  have  approached 
so  close  that  I  could  have  reached  them  with  my 
paddle.  In  this  manner  our  forefathers  shot  them, 
not  with  a  gun,  as  I  did,  but  with  the  bow  and 
arrow.  Bows  were  made  strong  enough,  so  that 
the  arrows  might  pierce  through  them. 

Another  mode  of  hunting  on  the  lakes,  pre 
ferred  by  some,  is  shooting  without  a  light 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  29 

Many  were  so  expert,  and  possessed  such  an  ac 
curacy  in  hearing,  that  that  they  could  shoot 
successfully  in  the  dark,  with  no  other  guide  than 
the  noise  of  the  deer  in  the  water ;  the  position 
of  the  deer  being  well  known,  in  this  way,  the 
darkest  night.  I  will  here  relate  an  occurrence 
which  took  place  in  1834.  My  father  and  I  were 
hunting  on  the  river  Trent,  in  the  night ;  after  we 
had  shot  two  deer,  and  while  returning  home 
wards,  we  heard  the  noise  of  a  deer's  footsteps. 
The  night  was  as  dark  as  pitch.  We  approached 
the  deer.  I  asked  my  father  at  what  part  of  the 
animal  I  should  aim.  He  replied,  "  at  the  head 
or  neck."  I  poised  my  gun  and  fired ;  hearing 
no  noise,  I  concluded  that  my  game  was  sure. 
I  lighted  some  pitch  pine  and  walked  towards 
the  spot  from  which  the  noise  had  come.  The 
deer  lay  dead  and  bleeding.  On  examination  I 
found  that  I  had  shot  it  just  below  the  ear.  In 
the  fall  of  the  year,  also,  I  was  accustomed  to 
hunt;  the  meat  was  very  fine,  and  the  skins,  (from 
which  our  moccasons  were  made),  were  much 
thicker  at  this  season.  Those  that  could  track 

the  deer  on  fallen  leaves  and  shoot  one  each  day, 

4 


30  THE   LIFE   OF 

were  considered  first  rate  hunters.  The  fall  is 
the  best  time  to  determine  the  skill  of  the  hunts 
man. 

Of  all  animals  the  bear  is  the  most  dangerous 
to  hunt.  I  had  heard  so  many  stories  about  its 
cunning  that  I  dreaded  to  meet  one.  One  day 
a  party  of  us  were  going  out  to  hunt  the  bear, 
just  below  Crooke's  rapids.  After  we  had  made 
a  temporary  place  to  stay  for  several  days,  we 
marched  in  file ;  after  a  while  we  halted,  each 
took  a  different  direction.  My  father  said,  "  my 
son  you  had  better  loiter  behind  the  rest.  Do 
not  go  far,  for  you  may  lose  yourself. "  We 
parted  —  I  took  my  course,  and  the  rest  theirs, 
I  trembled  for  fear  I  should  see  what  I  was 
hunting  for !  I  went  only  where  I  least  expected 
to  see  a  bear,  and  every  noise  I  heard  in  the  woods, 
I  thought  must  be  one.  As  I  stood  on  an  old 
mossy  log,  there  was  such  a  crack  on  the  side 
of  the  hill  that  my  heart  leaped  within  me.  As 
I  turned  and  looked,  there  was  a  large  bear 
running  towards  me !  I  hid  myself  behind  a 
tree  ;  but  on  he  came ;  I  watched  him ;  he  came 
like  a  hogshead  rolling  down  hill;  there  were 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  31 

no  signs  of  stopping ;  when  a  few  feet  from  me, 
I  jumped  aside,  and  cried  Yah  !  (an  exclamation 
of  fear).  I  fired  my  gun  without  taking  sight ;  in 
turning  suddenly  to  avoid  me,  he  threw  up  the 
earth  and  leaves ;  for  an  instant  I  was  led  to  be 
lieve  that  the  bear  was  upon  me.  I  dropped  my  gun 
and  fell  backwards,  while  the  bear  lay  sprawling 
just  by  me.  Having  recovered,  I  took  up  my  gun 
and  went  a  few  feet  from  where  I  fell,  and  load 
ed  my  gun  in  a  hurry.  I  then  sought  for  a  long 
pole,  and  with  it,  I  poked  it  on  its  side,  to  see  if  it 
was  really  dead.  It  did  not  move,  it  was  dead ; 
but  even  then  I  had  not  courage  to  go  and  touch 
it  with  my  hands.  When  all  was  over,  and  I 
had  told  my  father  I  had  killed  a  bear,  I  felt 
as  though  my  little  leggings  could  hardly  con 
tain  me.  In  examining  it,  I  found  the  ball  had 
gone  through  its  heart. 

Bear  meat  is  like  pork.  It  can  be  kept  a 
long  time  when  cured.  For  some  weeks  toge 
ther  this  was  the  only  kind  of  food  we  used  to 
eat. 

The  oil  of  the  bear  is  used  for  various  pur 
poses.  One  use  is;  to  prevent  the  falling  out 


32  THE   LIFE    OF 

of  the  hair.  The  apothecaries  buy  it  from  the 
Indians  for  about  five  dollars  a  gallon. 

The  skins  of  bears  are  what  our  forefathers 
wore,  before  the  white  people  came  amongst  us, 
as  blankets ;  but  now  land-sharks,  called  traders, 
buy  them  from  the  Indians  for  a  mere  trifle. 

I  loved  to  hunt  the  bear,  the  beaver,  and  the 
deer;  but  now,  the  occupation  has  no  charms 
for  me.  I  will  now  take  the  goose  quill  for  my 
bow,  and  its  point  for  my  arrow.  If  perchance  I 
may  yet  speak,  when  my  poor  aching  head  lies 
low  in  the  grave;  when  the  hand  that  wrote 
these  recollections  shall  have  crumbled  into 
dust ;  then  these  pages  will  not  have  been  writ 
ten  in  vain. 

"  0  !  Land  of  rest  for  thee  I  sigh — 

When  will  the  season  come, 
When  I  shall  lay  my  armor  by, 

And  dwell  in  peace  at  home." 

The  beaver  was  hunted  in  the  spring  and  fall. 
They  were  either  trapped  or  shot.  Among  all  the 
animals  that  live  in  the  water,  the  beaver  is  of  the 
kindest  disposition,  when  tamed;  it  is  a  very 
cleanly  animal;  sits  on  its  broad  tail  on  the 
ground  while  feeding;  feeds  all  night,  and  sleeps 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  33 

most  "of  the  day.  The  beaver  skin  was  once 
worth  from  eight  to  ten  dollars  a  piece,  or  four 
dollars  per  pound. 

The  otter,  too,  is  much  valued.  The  whites 
buy  the  skins,  and  make  caps  of  them.  They 
are  mostly  caught  in  traps.  In  the  fall  and 
spring  they  are  always  on  the  move. 

The  otter  is  a  greedy  animal;  it  can  be  tamed, 
but  when*  hungry  becomes  cross,  and  often  bites. 
If  it  be  a  half  a  mile  off,  it  will  scent  any  food 
preparing  in  the  wigwam. 

When  about  five  years  old,  I  commenced 
shooting  birds,  with  a  small  bow  and  arrow.  I 
have  shot  many  a  bird,  but  am  no  more  a  marks 
man.  I  used  to  feel  proud  when  I  use  to  carry 
home  my  own  game.  The  first  thing  that  any 
of  the  hunters  shot,  was  cooked  by  the  grand 
father  and  grand-mother,  and  there  was  great 
rejoicing,  to  inspire  the  youthful  hunter  with 
fresh  ardor.  Day  after  day  I  searched  for  the 
grey  squirrel,  the  wood-pecker,  the  snipe,  and 
the  snow  bird,  for  this  was  all  my  employ 
ment. 

The  gun  was  another  instrument  put  into  my 


34  THE   LIFE   OF 

hands,  which  I  was  taught  to  use  both  carefully 
and  skilfully.  Seldom  do  accidents  occur  from 
the  use  of  fire  arms  among  our  people.  I  de 
lighted  in  running  after  the  deer,  in  order  to  head 
and  shoot  them.  It  was  a  well  known  fact  that 
I  ranked  high  among  the  hunters.  I  remember 
the  first  deer  I  ever  shot,  it  was  about  one  mile 
north  of  the  village  of  Keene.  The  Indians,  as 
has  just  been  said,  once  had  a  custom,  which  is 
now  done  away,  of  making  a  great  feast  of  the 
first  deer  that  a  young  hunter  caught ;  the  young 
hunter,  however,  was  not  to  partake  of  any  of  it, 
but  wait  upon  the  others.  All  the  satisfaction 
he  could  realize,  was  to  thump  his  heels  on  the 
ground,  while  he  and  others  were  singing  the  fol 
lowing  hunter's  song: 

"  Ah  yah  ba  wah,  ne  gah  me  koo  nah  vah ! 
Ah  yah  \va  seeh,  ne  gah  me  koo  nah  nah."  * 

The  fattest  of  the  bucks  I'll  take, 
The  choicest  of  all  animals  I'll  take. 

In  the  days  of  our  ignorance  we  used  to  dance 
around  the  fire.     I  shudder  when  I  think  of  those 

*  These  lines  are  suug  over  and  over  again,  for  about  half  an  hour, 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  35 

days  of  our  darkness.  I  thought  the  Spirit  would 
be  kind  to  me  if  I  danced  before  the  old  men; 
and  day  after  day,  or  night  after  night,  I  have 
been  employed  with  others  in  this  way.  I  thank 
God  that  those  days  will  never  return. 


36  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  Ojebwas,  as  well  as  many  others,  acknow 
ledged  that  there  was  but  one  Great  Spirit,  who 
made  the  world ;  they  gave  him  the  name  of 
good  or  benevolent;  kesha  is  benevolent,  mom- 
doo  is  spirit;  Ke-sha-mon-e-doo.  They  supposed 
he  lived  in  the  heavens ;  but  the  most  of  the  time 
he  was  in  the  Sun.  They  said  it  was  from  him 
they  received  all  that  was  good  through  life,  and 
that  he  seldom  needs  the  offering  of  his  Red 
children,  for  he  was  seldom  angry. 

They  also  said  he  could  hear  all  his  children, 
and  see  them.  He  was  the  author  of  all  things 
that  they  saw,  and  made  the  other  spirits  that  were 
acknowledged  by  the  Ojebwas.  It  was  said  that 
these  other  spirits  took  special  care  of  the  various 
departments  of  nature.  The  god  of  the  hunter 
was  one  who  presided  over  the  animals;  the 
god  of  war  was  one  who  controlled  the  destinies 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  37 

of  men ;  the  god  of  medicine  was  one  who  pre 
sided  over  the  herbs  of  the  earth.  The  fishes 
had  theirs,  the  birds  had  theirs,  and  there  was 
another  over  the  moon  and  stars  ! 

"  Millions  of  spiritual  creatures  walk  the  earth 
Unseen,  both  when  we  slo$p  and  when  we  wake." 

There  was  one  unappeasable  spirit,  called  Bad 
Spirit,  Mah-je-mah-ne-doo.  He,  it  was  thought, 
lived  under  the  earth ;  and  from  him  was  attri 
buted  all  that  was  not  good,  bad  luck,  sickness, 
3ven  death.  To  him  they  offered  sacrifices  more 
:han  to  any  other  spirit,  things  most  dear  to 
:hem.  There  were  three  things  that  were  gene- 
,'ally  offered  to  the  Bad  Spirit,  viz.  a  dog,  whis 
key,  and  tobacco,  a  fit  offering  with  the  excep- 
ion  of  the  poor  dog.  The  poor  dog  was  painted 

d  on  its  paws,  with  a  large  stone  and  five  plugs 
f  tobacco  tied  about  its  neck ;  it  was  then  sunk 
i  the  water ;  while  the  beating  of  the  drum  took 
lace  upon  the  shore,  and  words  were  chanted 
o  the  Bad  Spirit. 

The  whiskey  was  thus  offered  to  the  Bad  Spi- 
it :  — When  the  Indians  were  seated  around  the 

figwam,  or  on  the  grass,  and  the  person  who 
5 


38  THE   LIFE   OF 

deals  out  the  whiskey  had  given  all  the  In 
dians  a  dram  then  the  devil  was  to  have  his 
share;  it  was  poured  on  the  ground,  and  if  it 
went  down  quickly,  it  was  thought  he  accepted 
the  offering. 

Fire  water  was  sometimes  poured  out  near  the 
head  of  the  graves  of  the  deceased,  that  their 
spirits  might  drink  with  their  former  friends.  I 
have  often  seen  them  sit  around  the  grave,  and 
as  they  drank,  make  mention  of  the  name  of 
their  dead,  and  pour  some  whiskey  on  the 
ground. 

Our  religion  consisted  in  observing  certain  cere 
monies  every  spring.  Most  of  the  Ojebwas  around 
us,  use  to  come  and  worship  the  Great  Spirit 
with  us  at  Rice  Lake.  At  this  festival  a  great 
many  of  the  youth  were  initiated  into  the  medi 
cal  mysteries  of  the  nation.  We  were  taught  the 

virtues  of  herbs,  and  the  various  kinds  of  mineral' 

t 

used  in  our  medicine.  I  will  here  describe  the 
Me-tac-we-gah-mig  or  Grand  Medicine  Lodge.  I 
was  a  wigwam  150  feet  long  and  15  feet  wide 
The  clan  of  medicine  men  and  women  alone 
were  allowed  to  be  inside,  at  each  sitting,  with  thei 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  39 

medicine  badge,  on  each  side  of  the  wigwam. 
Then  there  were  four  old  men  who  took  the  lead  in 
singing,  and  beating  the  drum,  as  they  stood  near 
the  centre.  Before  them  were  a  company  who 
were  to  take  degrees.  There  were  four  grades  in 
the  institution;  and  as  I  have  often  thought,  some 
what  similar  to  the  Masonic  institution. 

After  the  singing  commenced,  the  whole  com 
pany  arose  and  danced,  as  they  moved  from  one 
end  of  the  wigwam  to  the  other.  As  they  go 
round,  one-half  of  them  cast  their  heads  down 
upon  their  bosoms,  as  if  affected  by  the  medi 
cine,  which  was  kept  in  small  skins,  and  which 
ithey  pretended  to  thrust  at  each  other ;  this  was 
done  to  deceive  the  ignorant.  These  forms  were 
'continued  several  days.  The  party  to  be  made 
medicine  men  and  women,  looked  on  in  the 
mean  time,  to  see  what  they  would  have  to  do 
themselves.  Then  they  are  taken  to  another 
place  with  our  medicine  men,  and  are  taught  the 
science  of  medicine.  After  receiving  instruc 
tions,  another  day  was  allotted  to  give  them  in 
struction  on  morality.  They  were  advised  on 
various  subjects.  All  were  to  keep  silence,  and 


40  THE  LIFE   OF 

endeavor  to  retain  what  they  were  taught.  I 
will  here  give  some  of  the  sayings  of  our  medi 
cine  men : — 

"  If  you  are  a  good  hunter,  warrior,  and  a  me 
dicine  man,  when  you  die,  you  will  have  no  diffi 
culty  in  getting  to  the  far  west  in  the  spirit  land." 

"  Listen  to  the  words  of  your  parents,  never  be 
impatient,  then  the  Great  Spirit  will  give  you  a 
long  life." 

"Never  pass  by  any  indigent  person  without 
giving  him  something  to  eat.  Owh  wah-yah- 
bak-mek  ke-gah-shah-wa-ne-mig — the  spirit  that 
sees  you  will  bless  you." 

"  If  you  see  an  orphan  in  want,  help  him ;  for 
you  will  be  rewarded  by  his  friends  here,  or  thank 
ed  by  his  parents  in  the  land  of  spirits." 

"If  you  own  a  good  hunting  dog,  give  it  to 
the  first  poor  man  who  really  needs  it." 

"  When  you  kill  a  deer,  or  bear,  never  appro 
priate  it  to  yourself  alone,  if  others  are  in  want ; 
never  withhold  from  them  what  the  Great  Spirit 
has  blessed  you  with." 

"When  you  eat,  share  with  the  poor  children 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  41 

who  may  be  near  you,  for  when  you  are  old,  they 
will  administer  to  your  wants." 

"  Never  use  improper  medicine  to  the  injury  of 
another,  lest  you  yourself  may  receive  the  same 
treatment." 

"When  an  opportunity  offers,  call  the  aged 
together,  and  provide  for  them  venison  properly 
cooked,  and  give  them  a  hearty  welcome ;  then 
the  gods  that  have  favored  them  will  be  your 
friends." 

These  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  advice  given 
by  our  fathers,  and  by  adhering  to  their  counsels, 
the  lives,  peace,  and  happiness,  of  the  Indian  race 
were  secured;  for  then  there  was  no  whiskey 
amongst  them.  O!  that  accursed  thing.  O! 
why  did  the  white  man  give  it  to  my  poor  fathers  ? 
None  but  fiends  in  human  shape  could  have  in 
troduced  it  amongst  us. 

I  recollect  the  day  when  my  people  in  Canada 
were  both  numerous  and  happy;  and  since  then, 
to  my  sorrow,  they  have  faded  away  like  frost 
before  the  heat  of  the  sun !  Where  are  now  that 
once  numerous  and  happy  people  ?  The  voice  of 
but  few  is  heard. 


42  THE   LIFE   OF 

The  Ojebwa  nation,  that  unconquered  na 
tion,  has  fallen  a  prey  to  the  withering  influence 
of  intemperance.  Their  buoyant  spirits  could 
once  mount  the  air  as  on  the  wings  of  a  bird. 
Now  they  have  no  spirits.  They  are  hedged  in, 
bound,  and  maltreated,  by  both  the  American  and 
the  British  Governments.  They  have  no  other 
hope,  than  that  at  some  day,  they  will  be  relieved 
from  their  privations  and  trials  by  death.  The 
fire- water  has  rolled  towards  them  like  the  waves 
of  the  sea.  Alas !  alas !  my  poor  people  !  The 
tribe  became  dissipated,  and  consequently  impro 
vident,  and  often  suffered  intensely.  It  was  in 
visiting  the  interior  that  we  always  suffered  most. 

I  will  here  narrate  a  single  circumstance  which 
will  convey  a  correct  idea  of  the  sufferings  to 
which  Indians  were  often  exposed.  To  collect 
furs  of  different  kinds,  for  the  traders,  we  had  to 
travel  far  into  the  woods,  and  remain  there  the 
whole  winter.  Once  we  left  Rice  Lake  in  the 
fall,  and  ascended  the  river  in  canoes,  above  Bell- 
mont  Lake.  There  were  five  families  about  to 
hunt  with  my  father,  on  his  grounds.  The  winter 
began  to  set  in,  and  the  river  having  frozen  over, 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  43 

we  left  the  canoes,  the  dried  venison,  the  beaver, 
and  some  flour  and  pork ;  and  when  we  had  gone 
farther  north,  say  about  sixty  miles  from  the 
whites,  for  the  purpose  of  hunting-,  the  snow  fell  for 
five  days  in  succession  to  such  a  depth,  that  it  was 
impossible  to  shoot  or  trap  any  thing.  Our  pro 
visions  were  exhausted,  and  we  had  no  means  to 
procure  any  more.  Here  we  were.  The  snow 
about  five  feet  deep ;  our  wigwam  buried ;  the 
branches  of  the  trees  falling  around  us,  and  crack 
ing  from  the  weight  of  the  snow. 

Our  mother  boiled  birch  bark  for  my  sister  and 
myself,  that  we  might  not  starve.  On  the  seventh 
day  some  of  them  were  so  weak  that  they  could 
not  raise  themselves,  and  others  could  not  stand 
alone.  They  could  only  crawl  in  and  out  of  the 
wigwam.  We  parched  beaver  skins  and  old 
moccasons  for  food.  On  the  ninth  day  none  of 
the  men  were  able  to  go  abroad,  except  my  father 
and  uncle.  On  the  tenth  day,  still  being  without 
food,  those  only  who  were  able  to  walk  about  the 
wigwam,  were  my  father,  my  grand-mother,  my 
sister,  and  myself.  O  how  distressing  to  see  the 
starving  Indians  lying  about  the  wigwam  with 


44  THE    LIFE   OF 

hungry  and  eager  looks;  the  children  would  cry 
for  something  to  eat.  My  poor  mother  would 
heave  bitter  sighs  of  despair,  the  tears  falling  from 
her  cheeks  profusely  as  she  kissed  us.  Wood, 
though  plenty,  could  not  be  obtained,  on  account 
of  the  feebleness  of  our  limbs. 

My  father,  at  times,  would  draw  near  the  fire, 
and  rehearse  some  prayer  to  the  gods.  It  ap 
peared  to  him  that  there  was  no  way  of  escape ; 
the  men,  women  and  children  dying;  some  of 
them  were  speechless.  The  wigwam  was  cold 
and  dark,  and  covered  with  snow.  On  the 
eleventh  day,  just  before  daylight,  my  father  fell 
into  a  sleep ;  he  soon  awoke  and  said  to  me,  "  My 
son,  the  Great  Spirit  is  about  to  bless  us ;  this 
night  in  my  dream  I  saw  a  person  coming  from 
the  east,  walking  on  the  tops  of  the  trees.  He 
told  me  that  we  should  obtain  two  beavers  this 
morning  about  nine  o'clock.  Put  on  your  moc- 
casons  and  go  along  with  me  to  the  river,  and 
we  will  hunt  the  beaver,  perhaps  for  the  last 
time."  I  saw  that  his  countenance  beamed  with 
delight;  he  was  full  of  confidence.  I  put  on  my 
moccasons  and  carried  my  snow  shoes,  stagger- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  45 

ing  along  behind  him,  about  half  a  mile.  Hav 
ing  made  a  fire  near  the  river,  where  there  was 
an  air  hole,  through  which  the  beaver  had  come 
up  during  the  night,  my  father  tied  a  gun  to  a 
stump,  with  the  muzzle  towards  the  airhole;  he 
also  tied  a  string  to  the  trigger,  and  said  "should 
you  see  the  beaver  rise,  pull  the  string  and  you 
will  kill  it."  I  stood  by  the  fire  with  the  string 
in  my  hand.  I  soon  heard  a  noise  occasioned  by 
the  blow  of  his  tomahawk;  he  had  killed  a  beaver, 
and  he  brought  it  to  me.  As  he  laid  it  down,  he 
said  "  then  the  Great  Spirit  will  not  let  us  die 
here;"  adding,  as  before,  "  if  you  see  the  beaver, 
rise,  and  pull  the  string."  He  left  me,  I  soon  saw 
the  nose  of  one ;  but  I  did  not  shoot.  Presently 
another  came  up ;  I  pulled  the  trigger,  and  off 
the  gun  went.  I  could  not  see  for  sometime  for 
the  smoke.  My  father  ran  towards  me,  took 
the  two  beavers  and  laid  them  side  by  side;  then 
pointing  to  the  sun,  said,  "  Do  you  see  the  sun? 
The  Great  Spirit  informed  me  that  we  should 
kill  these  two  about  this  time  this  morning.  We 
will  yet  see  our  relatives  at  Rice  Lake ;  now  let 
us  go  home  and  see  if  they  are  still  alive."  We 


46  THE   LIFE   OF 

hastened  home,  and  arrived  just  in  time  to  save 
them  from  death.  Since  which,  we  visited  the 
same  spot,  the  year  after  the  missionaries  came 
among  us.  My  father,  with  feelings  of  gratitude, 
knelt  down  on  the  spot  where  we  had  nearly 
perished.  Glory  to  God !  But  what  have  I  done 
for  Him  since?  Comparatively  nothing.  We 
were  just  at  death's  door,  when  Christianity  res 
cued  us.  I  have  heard  of  many,  who  have  pe 
rished  in  this  way,  far  in  the  woods.  In  my 
travels  to  the  west,  I  have  met  many  whose 
families  had  perished,  and  who  had  themselves 
merely  escaped  starvation.  May  God  forgive 
me,  for  my  ingratitude  and  indolence  in  his 
blessed  cause ! 

I  will  here  introduce  a  favorite  war  song  of  the 
Ojebwa  nation.  It  was  accompanied  by  dancing, 
and  an  occasional  war- whoop.  At  the  end  of 
each  stanza,  a  warrior  rehearsed  some  former 
victories,  which  inspired  them  with  ardor  for 
war.  Unchristianized  Indians  are  often  like 
greedy  lions  after  their  prey ;  yes,  at  times,  they 
are  indeed  cruel  and  blood  thirsty.  I  have  met 
with  warriors,  who,  when  they  had  killed  their 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  47 

enemies,  cut  open  their  breasts,  took  out  their 
hearts,  and  drank  their  blood;  and  all  this  was 
out  of  mere  revenge.  But  to  the  War  Song,  which 
was  first  translated  for  Col.  McKinney,  "  the  In 
dian's  friend"  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Superior. 

"  On  that  day  when  our  heroes  lay  low — lay  low — 
On  that  day  when  our  heroes  lay  low, 
I  fought  by  their  side,  and  thought  ere  I  died, 
Just  vengeance  to  take  on  the  foe — the  foe — 
Just  vengeance  to  take  on  the  foe. 

"  On  that  day  when  our  chieftains  lay  dead — lay  dead — 

On  that  day  when  our  chieftains  lay  dead, 

I  fought  hand  to  hand,  at  the  head  of  ray  band, 

And  here,  on  my  breast,  have  I  bled — have  I  bled— 

And  here,  on  my  breast,  have  I  bled. 

"  Our  chiefs  shall  return  no  more — no  more — 

Our  chiefs  shall  return  no  more — 

And  their  brothers  in  war  who  can't  show  scar  for  scar, 

Like  women  their  fates  shall  deplore — shall  deplore — 

Like  women,  their  fates  shall  deplore. 

"  Five  winters  in  hunting  we'll  spend — we'll  spend — 
Five  winters  in  hunting  we'll  spend — 
Then  our  youths  grown  to  men,  to  the  war  lead  again, 
And  our  days  like  our  fathers',  we'll  end— we'll  end — 
And  our  days  like  our  fathers',  we'll  end." 


48  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OUR  people  believed  much  in  omens.  The 
barking  of  foxes  and  of  wolves,  the  bleating  of  the 
deer,  the  screaching  of  owls,  bad  luck  in  hunt 
ing,  the  flight  of  uncommon  kinds  of  birds,  the 
moaning  noise  of  a  partridge,  the  noise  of  a  chuck 
chuck  ske  sey*  were  ominous  of  ill ;  the  two  last 
were  certain  omens  of  death.  But  the  sailing  of 
an  eagle  to  and  fro,  and  the  noise  of  a  raven,  were 
omens  of  good. 

Dreams,  too,  were  much  relied  on  by  our  na 
tion.  They  thought  the  spirits  revealed  to  them 


*  To  this  bird  I  have  given  its  Indian  name,  because  I  have  not  been  able 
to  discover  it  among  the  collection  of  the  various  birds  in  the  books  and  in 
the  museums.  It  is  about  the  size  of  the  smaller  kind  of  parrot.  The 
eolor  of  its  feathers  is  like  those  of  a  jay,  having  short  wings  small  and 
broad  peak,  with  an  upper  and  lower  row  of  teeth,  like  a  human  being.  In 
this  last  respect,  it  is  different  from  any  other  bird.  It  takes  its  name  from  the 
sounds  it  utters,  viz.  chuck,  chuck.  I  hope  that  the  celebrated  ornithologist 
Audabon,  to  whom  I  intend  to  present  a  copy  of  my  work,  will  throw  some 
light  upon  this  subject. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  49 

what  they  were  to  do,  and  what  they  should  be, 
viz.  good  hunters,  warriors,  and  medicine  men. 
I  would  fast  sometimes  two,  and  sometimes  even 
four  days.  When  fasting,  we  were  to  leave  the 
wigwam  early  in  the  morning,  and  travel  all  day 
from  one  place  to  another,  in  search  of  the  favor 
of  the  gods.  I  was  taught  to  believe  that  the 
gods  would  communicate  with  me,  in  the  shape 
of  birds,  animals,  etc.,  etc.  When  I  fell  asleep 
in  the  woods,  and  dreamed  some  strange  dream,  I 
felt  confident  that  it  was  from  the  spirits.  I  will 
now  relate  what  I  dreamed  when  I  was  but  twelve 
years  old,  and  also  my  father's  interpretation  of 
my  dream. 

Myself  and  others  were  sleeping  far  from  the 
wigwam,  near  a  large  pine.  I  saw,  in  my  dream, 
a  person  coming  from  the  east ;  he  approached, 
walking  on  the  air ;  he  looked  down  upon  me, 
and  said,  "  Is  this  where  you  are  ?"  I  said  "  yes." 
"  Do  you  see  this  pine  ?"  "  Yes,  I  see  it."  "  It 
is  a  great  and  high  tree."  I  observed  that  the 
tree  was  lofty,  reaching  towards  the  heavens.  Its 
branches  extended  over  land  and  water,  and  its 
roots  were  very  deep.  "  Look  on  it  while  I  sing, 


50  THE   LIFE   OF 

yes,  gaze  upon  the  tree."  He  sang,  and  pointed 
to  the  tree ;  it  commenced  waving  its  top ;  the 
earth  about  its  roots  was  heaved  up,  and  the 
waters  roared  and  tossed  from  one  side  of  their 
beds  to  the  other.  As  soon  as  he  stopped  singing, 
and  let  fall  his  hands,  every  thing  became  per 
fectly  still  and  quiet.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  sing 
the  words  which  I  have  sung."  I  commenced 
as  follows : — 

"  It  is  I  who  travel  in  the  winds, 
It  is  I  who  whisper  in  the  breeze, 

I  shake  the  trees, 

I  shake  the  earth, 
I  trouble  the  waters  on  every  land." 

While  singing,  I  heard  the  winds  whistle,  saw 
the  tree  waving  its  top,  the  earth  heaving,  heard 
the  waters  roaring,  because  they  were  all  trou 
bled  and  agitated.  Then  said  he,  "  I  am  from 
the  rising  of  the  sun,  I  will  come  and  see  you 
again.  You  will  not  see  me  often ;  but  you  will 
hear  me  speak."  Thus  spoke  the  spirit,  and  then 
turned  away  towards  the  road  from  which  he  had 
come.  I  told  my  father  of  my  dream,  and  after 
hearing  all,  he  said,  "  My  son,  the  god  of  the 
winds  is  kind  to  you ;  the  aged  tree,  I  hope,  may 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  51 

i 

indicate  long  life ;  the  wind  may  indicate  that 
you  will  travel  much  ;  the  water  which  you  saw, 
and  the  winds,  will  carry  your  canoe  safely 
through  the  waves." 

I  relied  much  on  my  dream,  for  then  I  knew 
no  hetter.  But,  however  little  reliance  can  he 
placed  in  dreams,  yet  may  not  the  Great  Spirit 
take  this  method,  sometimes,  to  bring  about 
some  good  result  ? 

There  was  no  such  thing  known  among  our 
people  as  swearing,  or  profaning  the  name  of 
the  Great  Spirit  in  vain.  The  whites  first  taught 
them  to  swear.  I  often  swore,  when  I  knew  not 
what  I  said.  I  have  seen  some  white  faces,  with 
black  hearts,  who  took  delight  in  teaching  them 
to  profane  the  name  of  God.  O  merciless,  heart 
less,  and  wicked  white  men,  may  a  merciful  God 
forgive  you  your  enormous  turpitude  and  reck 
lessness  ! 

There  was  a  custom  among  us,  before  Christi 
anity  visited  us,  that  when  the  Ojebwas  intended 
to  take  a  general  whiskey  "  spree,"  several  young 
men  were  appointed  by  the  head  chief  to  collect 
all  the  fire  arms,  knives,  war-clubs  and  other 


52  THE   LIFE    OF 

i 

weapons,  and  keep  them  in  a  secret  place,  till 
the  Indians  had  completed  their  frolic.  This  was 
done  to  prevent  them  from  murdering  each  other 
when  intoxicated.  By  this  means  many  lives 
have  heen  saved ;  although  many  have  been  kill 
ed  j  during  their  drunken  fights.  They  would 
walk  very  far,  for  a  dram  of  liquor.  I  once  heard 
of  an  individual,  whom  I  had  seen  many  times, 
who  would  travel  all  day  for  a  single  drink  of 
fire-water.  When  he  arrived  at  the  trading  post, 
he  obtained  and  guzzled  down  a  cup  full  of 
whiskey.  When  the  poison  had  operated,  he 
said,  that  he  felt  as  if  his  head  was  going  down 
his  throat;  and  added,  "  Whah!  I  wish  my  neck 
was  a  mile  long,  so  that  I  might  feel  and  hear 
the  whiskey  running  all  the  way  down!" 

A  certain  Indian  once  teased  a  Mrs.  F.  for 
whiskey,  which  he  said  was  to  cure  his  "  big  toe" 
that  had  been  badly  bruised  the  preceding  night. 
Mrs.  F.  said,  "lam  afraid  you  will  drink  it." 
He  declared  he  would  not  drink  it;  and  after 
much  pleading,  she  handed  him  some;  he  took 
it,  and  looking  first  at  his  toe,  and  then  at  the 
liquor,  alternately,  all  of  a  sudden  he  slipped  the 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  53 

whiskey  down  his  gullet,  at  the  same  time  ex 
claiming,  as  he  pointed  to  his  toe,  "  There,  whis 
key,  go  down  to  my  poor  big  toe." 

One  of  our  people,  who  had  much  resolution, 
and  was  determined  to  seek  religion,  when  he 
heard  that  the  Methodist  Indians  were  not  to 
drink  anymore  fire-water,  remarked  as  follows: — 

"  Well,  if  that  is  the  case,  Fll  go  to-night,  and  bid 
my  old  friend  whiskey  a  final  farewell"  He  went, 
and  drank  and  caroused  with  his  rum-compa 
nions  all  night.  On  the  following  day  about 
noon,  he  came  staggering  towards  his  wigwam, 
singing  out  to  all  whom  he  met,  "  Me  goes  to  Me 
thodist,  me  no  drink  little  more,  me  am  Methodist" 
He  was  true  to  his  word,  for  he  drank  no  more, 
and  the  Lord  blessed  him  in  the  forgiveness  of 
all  his  sins.  For  eighteen  years  he  was  a  consis 
tent  Christian,  and  died  last  June,  with  the 
brightest  hopes  of  immortal  bliss.  Oh !  the 
heights  and  depths  of  the  goodness  and  mercy 
of  God ! 

In  view  of  these  things,  I  have  often  exclaim 
ed  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  in  the  language 
of  "The  Indian's  Regret,"  and  which  is  the 


54  THE   LIFE   OF 

language  of  all,  who  have  been  brought  from 
darkness,  to  the  marvelous  light  of  the  gospel:— 

"  O  had  our  Indian  fathers  known 

What  Prophets  told  of  Christ  and  heaven  ! 

For  them,  we  drop  a  tear  and  mourn, 
But  weep  for  joy,  our  sins  forgiven," 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  55 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  traditions  handed  down  from  father  to  son, 
were  held  very  sacred ;  one  half  of  these  are  not 
known  by  the  white  people,  however  far  their 
researches  may  have  extended.  There  is  an  un 
willingness,  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  to  com 
municate  many  of  their  traditions.  The  only  way 
to  come  at  these  is,  to  educate  the  Indians,  so 
that  they  may  be  able  to  write  out  what  they 
have  heard,  or  may  hear,  and  publish  it. 
Should  I  be  spared  till  next  summer,  I  design  to 
visit  my  people  in  the  far  west,  and  abide  with 
them  long  enough  to  learn  the  rest  of  their  tradi 
tions,  with  an  account  of  their  migration  to  this 
country.  My  own  belief  is,  that  they  came  to 
this  country^and  fought  with  the  original  inha 
bitants;  and  having  overpowered  them,  became 
the  owners  of  the  soil.  I  will  not  now  give  my 


56  THE    LIFE    OF 

reasons  for  this  belief,  as  I  expect  at  some  future 
day  to  collect  all  the  necessary  information  for 
this  purpose,  from  history  and  discoveries,  corro 
borated  by  these  traditions.  My  readers  will  then 
be  able  to  judge  whether  we  are  to  be  identified 
with  the  dispersed  and  "lost  tribes  of  Israel." 
Can  it  be  possible,  that,  had  we  sprung  from  any 
of  the  Hebrew  tribes,  we  should  be  so  completely 
ignorant  of  a  Messiah,  a  Sabbath,  or  a  single 
vestige  of  the  Levitical  Law  ?  But  enough  of 
this  for  the  present. 

As  far  as  I  am  able  to  learn,  our  nation  has 
never  been  conquered;  and  have  maintained 
their  ground  wherever  they  have  conquered. 
The  Saxe  tribe  have  tried  their  ingenuity,  power, 
and  bravery,  to  drive  them  from  the  south  shore 
of  Lake  Superior.  The  Hurons  mustered  their 
warriors  against  the  aggressions  made  by  the  Ojeb- 
wa  nation.  Their  war-canoes,  were  once  direct 
ed  against  the  Ojebwa  nation,  but  they  were 
obliged  to  turn  back,  and  flee  for  protection,  to 
the  Shawnee  nation.  The  sound  of  the  war- 
whoop  which  once  rang  all  around  the  shores 
of  Lake  Huron,  receded,  and  died  away  on 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  57 

;he  waters  of  Sandusky.  The  arms  that  once 
wielded  the  war-club,  were  strewed  about  their 
grounds,  on  account  of  broken  treaties  made  in  for 
mer  days,  and  massacres  at  the  mouth  of  French 
river.  The  fraquois,  who  struck  terror  wherever 
their  mere  names  were  mentioned,  also  tried  to 
check  our  progress,  after  we  had  conquered  the 
Hurons.  Their  war-whoops  resounded  over  the 
dismal  regions  of  the  conquered  land ;  but  they  too 
shared  the  same  fate.  They  went  as  spies  as  far 
as  La  Pointe,  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Superior ; 
but  not  with  their  armies  any  farther  than  Ke-wa- 
o-non,  in  the  copper  regions.  Here  they  were 
massacred  by  hundreds,  and  fell  in  their  canoes 
at  one  of  the  narrow  passes,  on  their  way  to  the 
Portage,  about  fourteen  miles  from  the  Bay  of 
Aunce.  After  these  fruitless  attempts  to  drive 
the  Ojebwas  from  their  land,  they  fought  many 
battles  with  them  in  the  regions  now  called  Ca 
nada  West;  but  in  these  they  suffered  much, 
and  were  defeated.  It  was  then,  probably,  that 
the  Hurons  and  Iraquois  leagued  together,  hoping 
by  their  combined  forces  to  conquer  us.  This 


58  THE   LIFE   OF 

accounts  for  the  confederacy  that  existed  when 
the  whites  came  among  them. 

The  migration  of  the  Ojebwas  has  been  tracec 
from  the  upper  part  of  Lake  Superior,  and  ever 
several  hundred  miles  above  its  head,  along  th< 
shore  of  Lake  Superior,  down  to  Lake  Huron 
St.  Clair,  the  foot  of  Lake  Michigan,  north 
Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario,  and  some  distance  down 
the  St.  Lawrence. 

They  now  inhabit  a  portion  of  land  extending 
about  two  thousand  miles  east  and  west,  and 
from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred 
miles  from  north  to  south.  They  have  in  each 
village,  a  chief  who  governs  them,  besides  a 
great  number  of  war  chiefs.  Each  village  has  a 
council  of  its  own,  made  up  of  the  different 
tribes.  A  tribe  is  a  band  of  Indians  whose  sign 
or  mark  is  the  same ;  for  example,  such  as  wear 
the  sign  of  the  crane,  recognize  each  other  as 
relatives;  and  although  each  village  may  be 
composed  of  different  tribes,  yet  they  must  be  of 
the  same  nation. 

Councils  of  peace  must  be  held  by  two  nations. 
These  councils  are  held  in  high  esteem.     When 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  59 

wo  nations  are  at  war,  if  either  sues  for  peace, 
hey  hand  to  each  other  some  token,  such  as  a 
)elt  of  wampum  (or  heads),  or  a  calumet  (a  long 
Dipe). 

There  was  once  a  general  council  held,  be 
tween  the  Hurons  and  the  Ojebwas;  it  was  con 
ducted  in  the  following  manner: — They  came 
together  near  Sault  St.  Marie,  and  agreed  upon  a 
peace  for  five  years.  After  the  pipe  of  peace  was 
prepared,  the  Ojehwa  and  the  Huron  warriors 
arranged  themselves  in  two  lines,  on  each  side 
of  their  chiefs,  and  said  that  they  must  ascertain 
whether  the  Great  Spirit  would  approve  of  their 
proceedings.  Two  from  each  nation  were  cho 
sen;  the  Hurons  held  the  pipe  filled  with  to 
bacco,  the  Ojebwas,  the  steel,  flint,  and  spunk. 
The  steel  was  then  struck  against  the  flint,  and 
if,  on  the  first  stroke,  the  spunk  was  ignited,  so 
as  to  fire  the  tobacco,  and  thus  enable  the  war 
rior  to  draw  in,  and  to  emit,  a  volume  of  smoke, 
then  the  evidence  was  complete  that  the  Great 
Spirit  approved  of  their  plans  and  proceedings ; 
and  the  whole  assembly  now  would  set  up  the 
most  tremendous  shout  of  joy.  The  two  nations 


60  THE   LIFE   OF 

were  successful  in  this.     The  shout  was  given 
peace  was    secured,    and  these   two   powerfu 
nations  separated   for  their  own  homes.     For 
three  years  no  dark  cloud  hung  over  the  two 
nations. 

The  Ojebwas  began  to  trade  with  the  whites 
at  Quebec.  It  usually  required  all  the  summer 
to  journey  from  the  shore  of  Lake  Superior  to 
that  place  and  back  again.  These  were  tedious 
and  perilous  journeys ;  but  they  were  determined 
to  obtain  "  the  snake  which  spit  fire,  smoke,  and 
death;7'  this  was  their  description  of  a  gun  to 
their  brethren. 

It  was  during  these  journeys  that  forty  of  them 
were  massacred  by  the  Hurons,  at  the  mouth  of 
French  River,  without  the  least  provocation; 
plunder  alone  was  their  object.  This,  in  connec 
tion  with  similar  acts,  occasioned  that  war  which 
resulted  in  their  complete  extermination  from 
Canada  by  our  nation. 

The  future  state  of  the  Ojebwas,  was  in  the 
Far  West.  They  described  that  state  or  country, 
as  being  full  of  game,  and  with  trees  loaded  with 
fruit  of  every  description, 


KAH-GE-QA-GAH-BOWH.  61 

When  an  Indian  warrior  died  on  the  field  of 
battle,  his  soul,  it  was  said,  took  its  immediate 
flight  to  this  paradise.  The  souls  of  those,  how 
ever,  who  died  in  other  circumstances,  it  was 
believed,  departed  from  the  grave,  and  journeyed 
in  the  ordinary  way,  although  unseen  by  mor 
tals,  to  this  same  land. 

There  was  a  difficult  bridge  near  this  land, 
over  which  the  soul  was  to  cross.  A  warrior, 
hunter,  or  medicine  man,  would  have  no  diffi 
culty  in  crossing  this  bridge.  Under  this  bridge 
was  a  rapid  stream,  and  he  who  was  not  a  good 
warrior,  hunter  or  medicine  man,  would  either 
fall  into  the  water,  or  lose  his  way,  after  having 
crossed,  in  some  barren  country,  where  there  was 
no  game,  or  fruit,  although  there  might  be,  occa 
sionally,  a  deer,  or  the  like.  O  how  barren! 
How  dismal !  A  place  where  distress,  want,  and 
despair  would  continue !  On  the  other  hand,  the 
favored  warrior  entered  the  fields  of  paradise, 
amidst  the  shouts  and  welcome  of  his  fellow 
warriors,  who  had  preceded  him  to  this  land  of 
plenty.  The  deer,  the  moose,  the  elk,  and  all 

kinds  of  animals,  fruits,  flowers,  and  the  singing 

8 


62  THE    LIFE    OF 

of  birds  fill  and  charm  the  land.  While  the  ever 
rolling  valleys  are  visited  with  delightful  and  re 
freshing  winds.  To  kill,  eat,  and  shoot,  are  their 
only  employments.  No  sickness,  no  fatigue,  no 
death,  will  ever  visit  them.  The  valleys  and  the 
mountains  are  to  be  clothed  with  evergreens. 
No  winter  to  chill  the  earth.  A  carnal  heaven 
indeed  !  A  sensual  paradise  !  Oh !  the  credu 
lous  and  misguided  Indian. 

"  Lo!  the  poor  Indian  whose  untutored  mind, 
Sees  God  in  clouds,  or  hears  him  in  the  wind; 
Whose  soul's  proud  science  never  taught  to  stray, 
Beyond  the  solar  walk  or  milky  way. 
Yet  simple  nature  his  hopes  has  given 
Beyond  the  cloud  top'd  hill  a  humble  heaven, 
Some  safer  world  in  depths  of  woods  embrace, 
Some  Island  in  the  watery  waste. 
Where  slaves  once  more  their  native  land  behold, 
No  fiends  torment,  nor  Christian  thirsts  for  gold." 

POPK. 

My  father  often  spoke  of  that  country,  while  I 
was  young.  He  informed  me,  that  if  I  should 
become  a  great  warrior,  a  hunter,  or  a  medicine 
man,  I  would  have  no  difficulty  in  reaching  that 
happy  spot.  Little  then  did  he  know  of  a  heaven 
revealed  in  the  gospel  That  heaven,  where  angels 
and  pure  spirits  dwell,  and  where  we  shall  see 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  63 

the  blessed  Jesus  as  he  is,  and,  what  is  still  a 
greater  honor,  be  like  him. 


!i  O  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing  "  Oh  uh  pa-gish  ke  che  ingo'  dwok, 
My  great  Redeemer's  praise  !  Neej  uh  ne  she  nah  baig, 

The  glories  of  my  God  and  King,  Che  nuh  nun  guh  mo  tuh  wah  wod 
The  triumphs  of  his  grace  !  Ning  e  zha  Mun  e-doom. 

"  My  gracious  Master,  and  my  God,  "  Ning  e  che  Noo  sa  weej  e  shin, 
Assist  me  to  proclaim,  Che  ween  d  uh  man  ga  yon. 

To  spread  through  all  the  earth  abroad  O  mah  a  ne  gook  kuh  me  gog 
The  honors  of  thy  Name.  A  zhe  wa  be  ze  yun. 

"  Jesus !  the  Name  that  charms  our  fears,  "  Jesus !  kali  be  'non  duh  we  'nung1, 
That  bids  our  sorrows  cease ;  Kah  gah  see  beeng  wa  'nung ; 

'Tis  music  in  the  sinner's  ears,  Ka  gait  'che  me  no  ne  kah  zo, 
'Tis  life,  and  health,  and  peace."  Kah  noo  je  mo  e  nung." 


When  our  warriors  were  dying,  they  told  their 
children  that  they  would  soon  reach  the  happy 
country.  Their  eyeballs,  rolling  in  death,  were 
turned  towards  the  setting  Sun.  O  white  man ! 
why  did  you  not  tell  us  before,  that  there  was  a 
better  heaven  than  that  of  the  Indian's?  Did 
not  the  blessed  Saviour  command,  "  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature  ? "  Reader,  almost  by  the  door  of  your 
churches,  my  forefathers  perished  for  the  lack  of 
the  bread  of  life,  while  you  have  reached  out 
your  arms,  and  extended  your  means  for  the  re 
lief  of  those  in  distant  lands !  O  what  a  thought ! 


64  THE   LIFE   OF 

Thousands  have  already  perished,  and  thousands 
more  will  yet  perish,  unless  converted  to  God ! 
The  thought  of  perishing !  how  insufferable !  O, 
how  intolerable ! 

"  O  mercy,  O  mercy,  look  down  from  above ; 
Great  Creator,  on  us,  thy  sad  children,  with  love  ; 
When  beneath  to  their  darkness  the  wicked  are  driven, 
May  our  justified  souls  find  a  welcome  in  heaven." 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH. 


65 


CHAPTER  VI. 

RICE  LAKE,  that  beautiful  lake,  extends  about 
twenty-five  miles,  and  is  from  two  to  three  miles 
in  breadth,  running  from  northeast  to  southwest. 
It  contains  about  twenty  islands.  Large  quanti 
ties  of  wild  rice  abound  in  almost  every  part  of 
the  lake;  it  resembles  fields  of  wheat.  As  ducks 
of  all  kinds  resort  here  in  great  abundance,  to  feed 
upon  the  rice,  consequently,  there  is  much  good 
game  in  the  fall  of  the  year.  They  fly  in  large 
flocks,  and  often  appear  like  clouds.  Some  of  the 
islands  just  referred  to,  are  beautiful ;  for  exam 
ple,  Sugar  Island,  with  its  beautiful  edge  of  ever 
greens  near  the  water ;  Spoke  Island,  a  place  of 
fashionable  summer  resort.  One  of  the  largest 
of  these  islands,  contains  about  three  hundred 
acres. 

In  1818,  our  people  surrendered  to  the  British 
government  a  large  part  of  their  territory,  for  the 


66  THE   LIFE   OF 

sum  of  £750 ;  reserving,  as  they  had  good  reason 
to  helieve,  all  the  islands.  As  they  could  neither 
read  nor  write,  they  were  ignorant  of  the  fact 
that  these  islands  were  included  in  the  sale. 
They  were  repeatedly  told  by  those  who  purchas 
ed  for  the  government,  that  the  islands  were  not 
included  in  the  articles  of  agreement.  But  since 
that  time,  some  of  us  have  learned  to  read,  and  to 
our  utter  astonishment,  and  to  the  everlasting 
disgrace  of  that  pseudo  Christian  nation,  we  find 
that  we  have  been  most  grossly  abused,  deceiv 
ed,  and  cheated.  Appeals  have  been  frequently 
made,  but  all  in  vain. 

Rice  Lake  contains  quantities  of  the  finest  fish. 
In  the  summer,  great  numbers  of  boats  may  be 
seen  trowling  for  mascalounge,  a  species  of  pike, 
some  of  which  weigh  about  thirty  pounds.  Bass, 
eels,  etc.,  are  also  found  in  this  lake.  Since 
locks  have  been  made  on  the  canal  down  to 
Crooke's  rapids,  much  fur  can  be  procured  all 
around  the  lake,  especially  muskrats — Shah-won- 
dase  O  dah  me  koo  mun. 

This  is  the  spot  on  which  I  roamed  during  my 
early  days.  Often  have  I  gone  with  my  birch- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  67 

bark  canoe  from  island  to  island,  in  quest  of 
ducks  and  fish.  The  plain  on  the  south  shore, 
is  called  Whortleberry  Plain.  A  steamboat  runs 
from  Gore's  Landing  to  Peterboro  once  a  day. 

The  village  of  the  Ojebwas  is  on  the  north ; 
the  land  gradually  slopes  towards  the  water.  Its 
farms,  church,  school  house,  and  council  house, 
can  be  seen  at  a  considerable  distance.  It  was 
here  where  the  Rev.  JAMES  EVANS,  whose  obituary 
was  noticed  in  the  following  manner  in  the  "  Al 
bany  Evening  Journal,"  December  22,  1846,  first 
taught  an  Indian  school. 

"  Suddenly,  on  the  23d  of  November,  at  Keel- 
by,  England,  Rev.  JAMES  EVANS,  for  many  years  a 
Wesleyan  missionary  in  Canada,  and  the  terri 
tory  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  On  Sunday, 
the  22d,  he  preached  twice,  and  on  Monday 
evening  23d,  spoke  at  a  missionary  meeting,  with 
great  fervency.  He  had  complained  of  a  slight 
indisposition,  previous  to  the  meeting,  but  after 
he  had  finished  his  address,  he  said  that  "  his  in 
disposition  had  been  completely  removed."  Soon 
after  his  head  fell  back,  and  life  was  gone." 

He   was  a   missionary  in  every "  sense  of  the 


68  THE    LIFE   OF 

word.  From  Rice  Lake,  he  went  to  Lake  Supe 
rior,  and  afterwards  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Terri 
tory,  where  he  labored  with  much  success.  His 
precious  life  was  spent  in  rescuing  the  Ojebwa 
nation  from  misery  and  degradation.  Fatigue, 
and  hunger,  were  often  his  companions ;  but  the 
power  of  living  faith  was  that  on  which  his  soul 
feasted.  O  thou  man  of  God,  enviable  are  thy 
labors,  thy  rest,  and  thy  glory!  I,  myself,  still 
hold  in  sweet  remembrance  the  sacred  truths 
which  thou  didst  teach  me,  even  the  commands 
of  the  MOST  HIGH  !  Memory,  like  an  angel,  will 
still  hover  over  the  sacred  spot,  where  first  you 
taught  me  the  letters  of  the  Alphabet. 

There  are  numerous  lakes  near  Rice  Lake; 
about  some  of  which,  the  Ojebwas  reside ;  parti 
cularly  Mud,  Schoogaug  and  Balsam  Lakes. 
The  country,  in  this  vicinity,  is  rapidly  increas 
ing  in  population;  the  whites  are  continually 
settling  among  us.  The  deer  was  plenty  a  few 
years  ago,  but  now  only  a  few  can  be  found. 
The  Ojebwas  are,  at  present,  employed  in  farm 
ing  instead  of  hunting ;  many  of  them  have  good 
and  well  cultivated  farms.  They  not  only  raise 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  69 

grain   enough  for  their  own  use,  but  often  sell 
much  to  the  whites. 

The  Canadian  Commissioners  on  Indian  affairs, 
in  their  report  to  Parliament  in  1845,  remarked,  in 
relation  to  the  Rice  Lake  Indians,  as  follows : — 
"  These  Indians  are  Methodists,  and  have  either 
a  resident  missionary,  or  have  been  regularly  visit 
ed  by  the  missionary  belonging  to  the  Alnwick 
settlement.  They  have  a  school,  and  a  school 
master  is  supported  by  the  Methodist  Missionary 
Society." 


70  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  missionaries  first  visited  us,  on  the  island 
called  Be-quah-qua-yong,  in  1827,  under  the  fol 
lowing  circumstances.  My  father  and  I  went  to 
Port  Hope,  to  see  our  principal  trader,  John  D. 
Smith,  in  order  to  obtain  goods  and  whiskey, 
about  twelve  miles  from  Rice  Lake.  After  my 
father  had  obtained  the  goods,  he  asked  for  whis 
key.  Mr.  Smith  said,  "  John,  do  you  know  that 
whiskey  will  yet  kill  you,  if  you  do  not  stop 
drinking  ?  Why,  all  the  Indians  at  Credit  River, 
and  at  Grape  Island,  have  abandoned  drinking, 
and  are  now  Methodists.  I  cannot  give  you  any 
whiskey." 

"  Tah  yah !  (an  exclamation  of  surprise),  it 
cannot  be,  I  must  have  whiskey  to  carry  home ; 
my  people  expect  it,"  said  my  father.  He  wish 
ed  to  buy  a  barrel,  but  only  obtained,  after  much 
pleading,  about  five  gallons.  My  father  promised 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  71 

to  drink  no  more  when  the  missionaries  shall  have 
come  to  Rice  Lake.  We  reached  home  the  same 
day  about  one  o'clock,  and  the  Indians  were 
awaiting  our  arrival,  that  they  might  have  some 
fire-water.  They  assembled  themselves  together 
and  began  to  drink  and  to  smoke.  Many  of  them 
were  sitting  on  the  grass  when  the  whiskey  be 
gan  to  steal  away  their  brains.  One  of  our  num 
ber  suddenly  ran  in  the  crowd,  and  said,  "  the 
black  coats  (missionaries)  are  coming,  and  are  on 
the  other  side  of  the  point."  Each  looked  at  the 
other  with  perfect  astonishment.  My  father  said 
to  our  informer,  "invite  them  to  come  over  to 
us ;"  and  to  the  one  who  was  dealing  out  whiskey, 
"  cover  the  keg  with  your  blanket,  and  don't  let 
the  black  coats  see  it."  The  whiskey  was  con 
cealed,  and  then  came  the  messengers  of  glad 
tidings  of  great  joy.  They  were  converted  In 
dians,  saved  by  grace,  and  had  been  sent  to 
preach  to  us,  and  to  invite  us  to  attend  a  camp 
meeting  near  Cobourg.  After  shaking  hands  all 
around,  one  of  them  delivered  a  speech  to  the 
half  drunken  Indians.  He  referred  to  the  day, 
when  they  were  without  the  good  news  of  salva- 


72  THE    LIFE    OF 

tlon.  He  spoke  with  great  earnestness,  and 
the  tears  fell  from  his  eyes.  He  said,  "Jesus 
Christ,  Ke-sha-mon-e-doo  O-g tec-son  (i.  e.  the  Be 
nevolent  Spirit's  son),  came  down  to  the  world, 
and  died  to  save  the  people ;  all  the  Indians  at 
the  Credit  River,  and  Grape  Island,  are  now  on 
their  road  to  the  place  where  the  Saviour  has 
gone.  Jesus  has  left  a  book  containing  his  com 
mands  and  sayings  to  all  the  world ;  you  will  see 
it,  andhear  it  read,  when  you  go  to  Cobourg,  for  the 
black  coats  have  it.  They  wish  you  to  come  and 
hear  it.  To-morrow  is  the  Sabbath,  and  on  that 
day  we  do  not  hunt,  or  work,  for  it  is  the  day 
which  the  Great  Spirit  made  for  himself."  He 
described  the  way  that  the  Son  of  God  was  cru 
cified.  I  observed  some  of  them  crying ;  my 
mother  heaved  deep  sighs;  the  half  drunken 
Indians  were  struck  dumb,  and  hung  their 
heads.  Not  a  word  was  uttered.  The  mission 
aries  said,  "  We  will  sing,  and  then  we  will  kneel 
down,  and  pray  to  the  Great  Spirit."  He  gave 
out  the  following  hymn : — 

"Jesus  ish  pe  ming  kah  e  zhocl." 
''Jesus,  my  all,  to  heaven  is  gone." 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  73 


They  stood  up  and  sang.  O  what  sweet  me 
lody  was  in  their  voices !  The  echo  was  so  great 
that  there  appeared  to  be  a  great  many  more 
singers  than  we  could  see.  After  the  hymn,  they 
prayed  with  the  same  fervency  as  they  sung. 

Peter  Wason  prayed,  and  in  his  prayer  said, 
"  O  Great  Spirit !  here  are  some  of  my  own  rela 
tives;  open  their  eyes. and  save  them!"  After 
the  prayer,  they  said  they  were  going  to  Cobourg 
that  evening ;  and  if  any  desired  to  go  with  them, 
they  would  be  glad  to  have  them  do  so. 

My  father  arose,  and  took  the  keg  of  whiskey, 
stepped  into  one  of  the  small  canoes,  and  paddled 
some  thirty  feet  from  the  shore ;  here  he  poured 
out  the  whiskey  into  the  lake,  and  threw  the  keg 
away.  He  then  returned  and  addressed  us  in 
the  following  manner: — "You  have  all  heard 
what  our  Brother  said  to  us ;  I  am  going  with 
them  this  evening;  if  any  of  you  will  go,  do  so 
this  evening ;  the  children  can  attend  the  great 
meeting  some  other  time."  Every  one  ran  at 
once,  to  the  paddles  and  canoes ;  and  in  a  few 
minutes  we  were  on  the  water.  The  missiona 
ries  had  a  skiff,  in  which  they  went  from  the 


74  THE   LIFE    OF 

Island  to  the  opposite  side.  They  sang  again, 
and  their  very  oars  seemed  to  keep  time  on  the 
still  water.  O  how  charming  !  The  scenery  of^ 
the  water ;  the  canoes  moving  in  files,  crossing 
the  lake  to  visit  their  first  camp  meeting.  When; 
we  arrived  on  the  other  side,  it  was  about  dusk, 
and  we  bought  five  candles  for  a  dollar  (/),  and: 
obtained  an  old  lantern.  We  marched  on  a  ne^vi 
road,  the  whole  of  Saturday  night,  in  order  to 
reach  the  camp  ground.  During  the  journey, 
we  had  to  wade  through  deep  creeks.  Just  be 
fore  the  dawn,  we  were  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  camp  ground ;  here  we  tarried  until  day  light, 
and  then  approached  the  camp. 

When  the  Indians  beheld  the  fence  and  the 
gate,  and  a  great  number  of  whites,  they  began 
to  feel  rather  timid  and  suspicious,  for  the  trader 
had  told  my  father  at  Rice  Lake,  that  it  was  far 
tl te  purpose  of  killing  all  tlie  Indians  that  the  black 
coats  had  invited  them  to  the  meeting.  My  fa 
ther  told  me  to  keep  away  from  the  ground,  and 
hunt  birds  and  squirrels  with  my  bow  and  arrow : 
his  object  was  to  save  my  life,  in  the  event  of  the 
Indians  being  killed.  After  remaining  on  the 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  75 

amp  ground  awhile,  I  departed ;  but  while  there, 
saw  a  large  number  of  converted  Indians  who 
Belonged  to  Credit  River,  and  Grape  Island. 
>ome  of  them  were  singing,  some  praying,  and 
thers  lying  about  the  ground  as  if  dead.  There 

a  great  many  preachers  present. 
On  the  third  day  many  of  our  company  were 
onverted;    among  this  number  was   my  dear 
ither ! 

As  I  entered  the  ground  in  the  afternoon,  I 
eard  many  voices,  and  among  them  my  father's 
oice.  I  thought  my  father  was  dying ;  I  ran  to 
im,  and  found  him  lying  partly  on  one  of  the 
3ats.  My  father,  said  I,  what  is  the  matter  with 
ou?  Are  you  sick?  "Come  here  my  son,  I 
m  not  sick,  but  I  am  happy  in  my  heart ;"  he 
laced  his  hand  upon  his  breast  while  he  spoke. 
I  told  you  that  you  must  keep  away  from  the 
ground,  that  your  life  might  be  spared ;  but  I  find 
lat  these  are  good,  and  not  bad,  people ;  kneel 
own  and  I  will  pray  for  you."  I  knelt,  while  he 
rayed.  O,  this  was  my  father's  first  prayer !  Me 
links,  that  at  this  time  the  angels  rejoiced  in 
leaven.  I  became  agitated ;  my  bow  and  arrows 


76  THE    LIFE    OF 

had  fallen  from  my  hand.  The  Indians  lay 
about  me  like  dead  men.  All  this  was  the  effect 
of  the  power  of  gospel  grace,  that  had  spread 
among  them.  The  shouts,  praises,  and  prayers, : 
of  fathers,  mothers,  sons,  and  daughters,  were, 
heard  from  every  quarter.  Those  who  had  just 
appeared  as  dead,  arose,  and  shouted  the  praises 
of  God !  They  clapped  their  hands,  and  ex 
claimed,  "Jesus  nin  ge  shah  wa  ne  mig"  Jesus 
has  blessed  me.  The  feeling  was  so  general  and 
powerful,  that  the  influence  was  felt  throughout 
the  camp,  both  by  the  Indians  and  the  whites. 
This  was  one  of  the  happiest  seasons  I  ever  wit 
nessed,  except  the  season  of  my  own  conversion. 
Many  of  my  relatives  were  converted  on  this  oc 
casion.  Many  of  them  have  since  gone  to  the 
world  of  spirits,  and  are  now  singing  the  praises 
of  redeeming  love.  This  heavenly  fire  began  to 
spread  from  the  camp,  to  Mud,  Schoogaug  and 
Balsam  Lakes,  the  homes  of  the  Ojebwas ;  also 
to  the  shores  of  Lake  Simeco,  and  Lake  Huron, 
and  to  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Superior. 

"  Waft,  waft,  ye  winds  his  story, 
And  you  ye  waters  roll, 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  77 

Till  like  a  sea  of  glory 

It  spreads  from  pole  to  pole." 

On  the  camp  ground,  the  Ojebwas  sat  in 
squads,  giving  and  receiving  instruction  in  sing 
ing,  learning  and  teaching  the  Lord's  prayer,  and 
other  things.  Some  were  singing, 

"Jesus,  kuh  ba  ke  zhig 

Ning  ee  e  uuh  uh  moz, 
Uh  pa  gish  kuh  ke  nuh  wahb'  dum  'svor.l 

Ning  eo  'nuh  da  moosh 

A  zhe  o  ne  zhe  shing, 
O  go  che  o  duh  nuh  me  ah  win." 

"  Jesus  all  the  day  long 

Was  my  joy  and  my  song ; 
O  that  all,  his  salvation  might  see ' 

He  hath  lov'd  me,  I  cried; 

He  hath  suffer'd  and  died 
To  redeem  such  a  rebel  as  me." 


10 


78  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  conversion  of  my  mother  took  place  during 
the  summer,  on  Poutash  Island,  where  the  In 
dians  had  erected  a  bark  chapel.  For  two  years 
she  lived  in  the  enjoyment  of  religion.  Before 
this  chapel  was  ready  she  would  call  us  together 
in  the  wigwam,  and  pray  with  and  for  us,  several 
times  a  day,  whether  our  father  was  at  home  or 
not.  I  remember  well,  at  this  moment,  the  lan 
guage  of  her  prayers. 

She  was  taken  sick  in  the  winter  of  1829,  and 
was  confined  to  her  bed,  most  of  the  time,  for  three 
months;  her  disease  was  consumption.  During 
these  three  months,  she  enjoyed  much  religion; 
there  was  not  a  day,  in  which  she  did  not  speak 
of  Jesus  and  his  promises  with  the  greatest  con 
fidence  and  delight. 

When  she  grew  worse,  she  called  for  the  class 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  79 

leaders  to  pray  with  her.  She  said  to  her  mother, 
whom  she  supposed  would  die  first,  because  her 
hair  was  white,  "  you  will  still  live,  but  I  am  go 
ing  to  die,  and  will  see  Jesus  first ;  soon,  however, 
you  will  follow  me." 

The  spirit  of  my  dear  mother  took  its  flight  on 
the  27th  day  of  February,  1830.  Just  before  her 
death,  she  prayed  with  her  children ;  and  advised 
us  to  be  good  Christians,  to  love  Jesus,  and  to 
meet  her  in  heaven.  She  then  sang  her  favorite 
hymn, 

'•  Jesus  iah  pe  raiiig  kah  e  zhocL" 
"  Jesus,  my  all,  to  heaven  is  gone." 

This  was  the  first  hymn  she  had  ever  heard  or 
learned ;  and  it  is  on  this  account  that  I  intro 
duce  and  sing  this  sweet  hymn  whenever  I  lec 
ture  "On  the  origin,  history,  traditions,  migra 
tion,  and  customs,  of  the  Ojebwa  nation."  We 
all  knelt  again  by  her  bed  side,  and  while  clap 
ping  her  hands,  and  endeavoring  to  shout  for  joy, 
:  she  swooned  away  in  death.  The  last  words, 
which  she  feebly  uttered,  were,  "Jesus,  Jesus" 
Her  spirit  then  fled,  her  lips  were  cold,  and  those 


80  THE   LIFE   OF 

warm  hands  that  had  so  often  and  so  faithfully 
administered  comfort  and  relief,  were  now  stiff. 
I  looked  around  the  wigwam ;  my  father,  sister, 
and  brother  sat  near  me,  wringing  their  hands ; 
they  were  filled  with  bitter  griefj  and  appeared  in 
consolable,  I  then  began  to  understand  and  ap 
preciate  fully  her  kindness  and  love.  Who,  who 
can,  or  will,  take  the  place  of  a  mother  ?  Who 
will  pray  for  us  when  we  are  sick  or  in  distress  ? 
Her  body  was  consigned  to  the  grave  without 
any  parade.  No  church  bell  was  tolled ;  but  the 
whistling  wind  sounded  through  the  woods.  I 
have  often  knelt  down,  at  the  head  of  her  grave, 
and  wished  that  the  time  would  soon  arrive 
when  it  might  please  God  to  relieve  me  from  my 
troubles  and  cares,  and  conduct  me  to  the  abode 
of  my  beloved  parent.  My  sister  Sarah  too,  who 
has  since  died,  is  doubtless  with  my  mother.  O 
how  glorious  the  thought,  that  both  are  now  in 
heaven !  There  is  one  spot  where  none  will  sigh 
for  home.  The  flowers  that  blossom  there,  will 
never  fade ;  the  crystal  waters  that  wind  along 
those  verdant  vales,  will  never  cease  to  send  up 
their  heavenly  music ;  the  clusters  hanging  from 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH. 


81 


e   trees  overshadowing  its  banks,  will  be  im- 
rtal  clusters ;  and  the  friends  that  meet,  will 
eet  forever. 

Little  then  did  I  think  that  I  should  have  to 
through  so  many  afflictions,  and  so  many 
ardships.  O  my  mother,  I  am  still  in  a  cold,  un- 
itable^  miserable  world!  But  the  thought  that 
ou  art  happy  and  blessed,  is  truly  sweet  and 
ncouraging !  It  is  this  fact,  and  my  own  hopes 
of  future  bliss,  that  buoys  me  up,  and  sustains 
ijme  in  the  hours  of  conflict  and  despondency. 
Although  many  years  have  elapsed,  since  her 
death,  still,  I  often  weep  with  mingled  joy 
iand  grief  when  I  think  of  my  dear  mother. 
"Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord." 
"  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  for 
it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  belie veth."  The  gospel  is  the  only  re 
medy  for  the  miseries  and  sins  of  the  world. 

My  mother  and  sister's  cases  are  not  the  only 
ones  that  I  could  relate  concerning  the  happy 
lives  and  deaths  of  those  once  degraded  and  be 
nighted  Indians.  Many  have  already  reached 
heaven;  and  many  more  are  now  rejoicing  on 


82  THE   LIFE   OF 

their  road  thither.  Who  will  now  say  that  the 
poor  Indians  cannot  be  converted  ?  The  least  that 
Christians  could  have  done,  was  to  send  the  gos 
pel  among  them,  after  having  dispossessed  them 
of  their  lands;  thus  preparing  them  for  useful 
ness  here,  and  happiness  hereafter.  Let  no  one 
say  that  I  am  ungrateful  in  speaking  thus.  It 
was  the  duty  of  Christians  to  send  us  missiona 
ries;  and  it  is  now  their  duty  to  send  more  of 
them.  There  are  still  25,000  of  my  poor  bre 
thren  in  darkness,  and  without  the  gospel.  Let 
the  prayers  of  all  the  churches  ascend  to  the 
Most  High,  in  then-  behalf,  that  He  who  has 
power  to  deliver,  may  save  the  poor  Indian  from 
misery,  ignorance,  and  perdition. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  83 


CHAPTER  IX. 

IN  the  summer  following  my  mother's  death 
1830),  /  was  converted.  The  following  are  the 
circumstances  connected  with  my  conversion. 
UEy  father  and  I  attended  a  camp  meeting  near 
he  town  of  Colbourne.  On  our  way  from  Rice 
-.ake,  to  the  meeting,  my  father  held  me  by  the 
land,  as  I  accompanied  him  through  the  woods. 
Several  times  he  prayed  with  me,  and  encouraged 
ne  to  seek  religion  at  this  camp  meeting.  We 
lad  to  walk  thirty  miles  under  a  hot  sun,  in 
rder  to  reach  the  place  of  destination.  Multi- 
udes  of  Indians,  and  a  large  concourse  of  whites 
rom  various  places,  were  on  the  ground  when  we 
irrived.  In  the  evening,  one  of  the  white  preach 
ers  ( Wright,  I  believe  was  his  name),  spoke  ;  his 
ext  was,  "For  the  great  day  of  His  wrath  is 
come,  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand."  He  spoke 


84  THE   LIFE   OF 

( 

in  English,  and  as  he  closed  each  sentence,  an 
Indian  preacher  gave  its  interpretation.  He 
spoke  of  the  plain  and  good  road  to  heaven ;  of 
the  characters  that  were  walking  in  it ;  he  then 
spoke  of  the  bad  place,  the  judgment,  and  the 
coming  of  a  Saviour.  I  now  began  to  feel  as  if  I 
should  die,  I  felt  very  sick  in  my  heart.  Never 
had  I  felt  so  before;  I  was  deeply  distressed,  and 
knew  not  the  cause.  I  resolved  to  go  and  pros 
trate  myself  at  the  mourners  bench,  as  soon  as 
an  opportunity  offered.  We  were  now  invited 
to  approach.  I  went  to  the  bench  and  knelt 
down  by  the  roots  of  a  large  tree.  But  how 
could  I  pray  ?  I  did  not  understand  how  to  pray ; 
and  besides,  I  thought  that  the  Great  Spirit  was 
too  great  to  listen  to  the  words  of  a  poor  Indian 
boy.  What  added  to  my  misery  was,  that  it  had 
rained  in  torrents  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour, 
and  I  was  soaking  wet.  The  thunder  was  ap 
palling,  and  the  lightning  terrific.  I  then  tried 
again  to  pray,  but  I  was  not  able.  I  did  not 
know  what  words  to  use.  My  father  then  pray 
ed  with  and  for  me.  Many  were  praising  God, 
all  around  me.  The  storm  now  ceased,  and 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  85 

nearly  all  the  lights  had  been  extinguished  by 
the  rain.  I  still  groaned  and  agonized  over  my 
sins.  I  was  so  agitated  and  alarmed  that  I  knew 
not  which  way  to  turn  in  order  to  get  relief.  I 
was  like  a  wounded  bird,  fluttering  for  its  life. 
Presently  and  suddenly,  I  saw  in  my  mind,  some 
thing  approaching ;  it  was  like  a  small  but  bril 
liant  torch ;  it  appeared  to  pass  through  the  leaves 
of  the  trees.  My  poor  body  became  so  enfeebled 
that  I  fell;  my  heart  trembled.  The  small  bril 
liant  light  came  near  to  me,  and  fell  upon  my 
head,  and  then  ran  all  over  and  through  me,  just 
as  if  water  had  been  copiously  poured  out  upon 
me.  I  knew  not  how  long  I  had  lain  after  my 
fall ;  but  when  I  recovered,  my  head  was  in  a 
puddle  of  water,  in  a  small  ditch.  I  arose ;  and 
O !  how  happy  I  was !  I  felt  as  light  as  a  fea 
ther.  I  clapped  my  hands,  and  exclaimed  in 
English,  "  Glory  to  Jesus."  I  looked  around  for 
my  father,  and  saw  him.  I  told  him  that  I  had 
found  "Jesus."  He  embraced  me,  and  kissed 
me ;  I  threw  myself  into  his  arms.  I  felt  as 
strong  as  a  lion,  yet  as  humble  as  a  poor  Indian 

boy  saved  by  grace,  by  grace  alone.    During  that 

11 


86  THE    LIFE   OF 

night  I  did  not  sleep.  The  next  morning,  my 
cousin,  George  Shawney,  and  myself,  went  out 
into  the  woods  to  sing  and  pray.  As  I  looked  at 
the  trees,  the  hills,  and  the  vallies,  O  how  beauti 
ful  they  all  appeared !  I  looked  upon  them,  as 
it  were,  with  new  eyes  and  new  thoughts.  Amidst 
the  smiles  of  creation,  the  birds  sang  sweetly,  as 
they  flew  from  tree  to  tree.  We  sang 

"  Jesus  the  name  that  charnis  our  fears." 

O  how  sweet  the  recollections  of  that  day! 
"  Jesus  all  the  day  long  was  my  joy  and  my  song." 
Several  hundred  were  converted  during  this  meet 
ing.  Many  of  the  Indians  were  reluctant  to 
leave  the  camp  ground  when  the  meeting  was 
broken  up.  When  we  reached  our  homes  at 
Rice  Lake,  every  thing  seemed  to  me  as  if  it 
wore  a  different  aspect ;  every  thing  was  clothed 
with  beauty.  Before  this,  I  had  only  begun  to 
spell  and  read.  I  now  resumed  my  studies  with 
a  new  and  different  relish.  Often,  when  alone, 
I  prayed  that  God  would  help  me  to  qualify  my 
self  to  teach  others  how  to  read  the  word  of  God; 
this  circumstance  I  had  not  told  to  any  one.  On 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  87 

Sabbath  mornings  I  read  a  chapter  in  the  New 
Testament,  which  had  been  translated  for  my 
father  before  we  went  to  meeting. 

During  this  summer,  one  of  our  chiefs,  John 
Sunday,  with  several  others,  departed  from  Rice 
Lake,  for  the  west,  with  a  design  to  preach  to  the 
Ojebwas.  When  they  returned,  they  told  us  that 
the  Indians  were  very  eager  to  hear  the  word  of 
God,  and  that  many  had  been  converted.  John 
Sunday  informed  us  of  a  certain  Indian,  who  was 
so  much  opposed  to  the  meetings,  that  he  con 
fined  his  wife  and  children  to  one  of  the  islands, 
to  prevent  her  attending  them.  But  this  poor 
woman  was  so  anxious  to  obey  God  in  attend 
ance  on  worship,  that  she  was  in  the  habit  of 
fording  the  river  every  night,  and  carrying  her 
children  on  her  back.  Her  husband  was  after 
wards  converted.  He  mentioned  also  an  in 
stance  of  an  Indian  who  brought  his  medicine 
sack  with  him  to  the  meeting,  but  on  being  con 
verted,  he  scattered  its  contents  to  the  four  winds 
of  heaven.  These  sacks  were  held  very  sacred 
among  the  Indians.  He  spoke  likewise  of  the 
conversion  of  many  chiefs,  and  of  the  flocks  of 


88  THE    LIFE    OF 

children  anxious  to  hear  the  word  of  God.  He 
left  such  an  impression  on  my  mind,  that  often, 
while  alone,  I  prayed  that  God  might  send  me 
to  instruct  the  children  in  the  truths  of  religion. 

I  joined  my  father's  class  meeting;  and  as 
often  as  possible,  I  attended  school  during  the 
period  of  two  years.  In  June,  1834,  our  white 
missionary,  Daniel  McMullen,  received  a  letter 
from  the  Rev.  Wm.  Case,  in  which  it  was  stated 
that  a  letter  had  been  sent  to  him  by  the  Rev. 
John  Clark,  who  was  then  the  Superintendent 
of  the  missions  on  Lake  Superior.  The  Super 
intendent  requested  that  two  native  preachers 
and  two  native  teachers  should  be  sent  to  him. 
John  Johnson  and  I,  were  told  that  we  were  to 
accompany  Brothers  John  Taunchey  and  Cau- 
bage  to  Lake  Superior,  to  aid  Brother  Clark. 

Brother  Caubage,  and  my  cousin  Johnson,  took 
their  departure.  John  Taunchey  hesitated  aboul 
going,  because  I  was  undecided,  and  my  fathej 
felt  unwilling  at  first  to  let  me  go. 

One  day  I  determined  to  leave  the  village 
as  to  avoid  going  to  Lake  Superior;    I  hunte< 
along  the  River  Trent,  hoping  that  John  Taunche] 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH. 


89 


rould  be  gone  before  my  return ;  I  felt  very  un- 

illing  to  go.      I  was  absent  over  two  weeks ; 

Ley  were  the  longest  two  weeks  I  had  ever  ex- 

irienced.    Yet  the  whole  time  I  felt  dissatisfied ; 

unethiiig  seemed  to  whisper  to  me  "  George,  go 
tome,  and  go  to  Lake  Superior  with  your  uncle 

ohii  Taunchey."  I  returned  to  the  village.  The 
person  I  saw,  informed  me  that  my  uncle 
is  waiting  for  me,  and  that  my  father  had  left 
t  to  me  to  decide  whether  to  go  or  to  stay. 

[ere  I  was;  the  missionaries  came,  and  said, 
"  George,  your  father  has  left  it  with  you  to  go 
>r  stay.  It  is  your  duty  to  go ;  John  is  waiting, 

id  to-day  you  must  conclude."  Our  school  mis 
tress,  Miss  Pinney,  came  and  reasoned  with  me. 

recollected  too,  that  I  had  prayed  that  God  might 
>repare  me  to  be  useful  to  my  brethren ;  and  now, 
that  I  have  some  good  reason  to  think  that  my 
| prayers  had  been  heard,  and  still  to  refuse  to  go, 

rould  perhaps  be  acting  in  opposition  to  the  indi- 
Ications  of  God.  I  wept  and  prayed ;  but  O !  that 
I  night  of  struggle !  I  could  not  sleep.  In  the  morn 
ing,  I  said  to  my  father,  "  I  have  concluded  to  go, 
prepare  me  for  my  journey."  That  morning  we 


90  THE    LIFE    OF 

were  prepared ;  and  on  the  16th  July,  1834,  about 
noon,  we  were  on  the  shore.  The  canoe  was 
ready;  many  of  the  Indians  prayed  with  us  on 
the  beach.  After  shaking  hands  with  my  father 
and  the  rest,  we  bid  farewell  to  all  we  loved  so 
tenderly.  We  went  on  board  the  steamboat 
Great  Britain  at  Cobourg,  and  arrived  at  Toronto 
the  next  day.  On  the  19th  of  July,  we  saw  at 
Toronto,  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  houses,  Mr. 
William  Lyon  McKenzie,  who  created  so  much 
trouble  in  Canada  in  the  years  1837  and  1838.  He 
was  then  in  the  height  of  his  popularity.  He  was 
placed  upon  the  top  of  a  house  by  his  friends,  in 
company  with  another  lawyer,  with  a  large  gold 
medal  around  his  neck.  There  was  a  large  con 
course  of  his  friends  who  had  come  from  Hamilton 
for  the  express  purpose  of  seeing  and  cheering 
him.  On  the  20th  July  we  left  in  the  stage  for 
Holland  Landing;  here  we  remained  two  days, 
for  the  want  of  a  conveyance  to  the  Snake  Island 
Mission.  At  this  island  we  tarried  the  whole  of  the 
Sabbath  with  the  Indians ;  and  had  some  glorious 
meetings.  They  conveyed  us  to  the  Narrows 
Mission.  In  crossing  from  Narrows  to  Cold  Water 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  91 

Mission,  we  were  obliged  to  carry  our  trunks  on 
)ur  backs.  About  11  o'clock  we  met  two  runa 
way  horses  on  the  road  to  Narrows.  We  caught 
hem,  tied  our  trunks  on  their  backs,  and  lead 
hem  back  to  Cold  Water.  Thus  we  were  re- 
ieved  of  our  heavy  loads. 

On  Wednesday,  the  26th  July,  we  went  from 
Hold  Water  Mission  to  Pane-ta-wa-go-shene, 
where  we  saw  a  great  number  of  Ojebwas  from 
L.ake  Superior,  Ottawas,  Menomenese,  &c.  Here 
we  fell  in  with  John  Sunday,  Frazer,  and  others, 
who  were  engaged  in  instructing  the  Indians  in 
;his  vicinity. 

An  opportunity  occurred  now  to  go  to  Sault  St. 
Marie,  where  the  Rev.  John  Clark  resided.  We 
were  out  of  provisions  several  times.  By  fishing 
and  shooting  gulls  on  our  way,  we  were  enabled 
to  reach  the  Sault,  where  we  met  Brother  Clark, 
John  Caubage,  and  cousin  Johnson;  this  took 
place,  I  believe,  on  the  24th  of  August.  We 
stayed  here  about  two  weeks,  preparing  to  go  to 
the  Aunce,  the  Ke-wa-we-non  Mission.  During 
our  delay  in  this  place,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Chand 
ler,  and  Bourne  (the  latter  a  member  of  the  Illi- 


92  THE   LIFE   OF 

nois  Conference,  arrived.  Brother  Chandler  has 
since  died.  My  cousin,  H.  P.  Chase,  was  Brother 
Clark's  interpreter.  The  Indians  were  comfort 
able  in  their  new  houses.  We  held  meeting  with 
them  several  nights. 

Pah-we-ting  with  its  fisheries.  Thomas  Shaw 
a  warm  and  open  hearted  half-bred  Frenchman 
was  in  the  habit  of  scooping  out  of  the  rapids 
twenty  or  thirty  fine  white  fish,  and  boiling  them 
for  his  friends. 


RAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  93 


CHAPTER  X. 


I  now  began  to  feel  the  responsibilities  rest 
ing  upon  me.  The  thought  of  assuming  the 
station  of  a  teacher  of  the  Indians,  with  so  few 
capabilities,  was  enough  to  discourage  more  gift 
ed  men  than  myself.  Frequently  did  I  enter  the 
woods  and  pour  out  my  soul  to  God,  in  agony 
and  tears.  I  trembled  at  what  was  before  me ; 
and  said,  "who  is  able  for  these  things?"  But 
a  still  small  voice  would  answer,  "  My  grace  is 
sufficient  for  you."  Soothing  words  indeed,  espe 
cially  to  an  unlearned  and  feeble  Red  man  —  a 
mere  worm  of  the  dust. 

Having  provided  every  thing  necessary  for  our 
journey,  and  a  residence  of  eight  months  at  the 
Ka-wa-we-non  Mission,  we  started  in  company 
with  Rev.  Mr.  Chandler,  uncle  John  Taunchey, 
and  the  traders  who  intended  to  winter  on  the 

shores  of  Lake  Superior  and  do  business  with 

12 


94  THE   LIFE   OF 

the  Ojebwas.  We  were  more  than  three  weeks 
on  our  journey  —  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
At  one  place  we  were  weather-bound  for  one 
week.  Our  French  companions  were  the  most 
wicked  of  men.  They  would  gnash  their  teeth 
at  each  other,  curse,  swear,  and  fight  among 
themselves.  The  boat,  oars,  the  winds,  water, 
the  teachers,  etc.,  did  not  escape  their  execra 
tions.  I  thought  now  that  I  understood  what 
hell  was  in  a  very  clear  manner.  My  very  hairs 
seemed  to  "stand  erect  like  quills  upon  a  fretful 
porcupine,"  when  they  gave  vent  to  their  male 
volence  and  passions.  They  would  fight  like 
beasts  over  their  cooking  utensils,  and  even  while 
their  food  was  in  their  mouths.  I  will  just  say 
here  that  I  have  often  seen  them  eat  boiled  corn 
with  tallow  for  butter. 

On  our  road,  we  saw  the  celebrated  Pictured 
Rocks,  Sand  Banks,  and  Grand  Island.  On  a  point 
of  the  latter  place  we  encamped.  Every  Sab 
bath  I  devoted  about  one  hour  in  sighing  and 
crying  after  home.  What  good  can  /  do,  when  I 
reach  the  place  of  labor  ?  was  a  question  that 
often  occurred  to  my  mind.  Still  we  were  going 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH. 


95 


ter  and  farther  from  home.    We  were  obliged 
>,  to  do  our  own  cooking,  washing,  and  mend 
ing. 

At  last,  in  September,  we  arrived  at  the  Aunce 
ty.     Here,  our  house  was  no  better  than  a  wig- 
tm ;  and  yet  we  had  to  occupy  it  as  a  dwell- 
a  school   house,  a  meeting  house,  and  a 
council  room. 

We  commenced  laboring  among  our  poor  peo- 
Iple,  and  those  that  had  been  christianized,  were 
exceedingly  glad  to  see  us.  Brothers  Sunday  and 
JFrazer  had  already  been  among  them  more  than 
|  a  year.  We  began  to  build  quite  late  in  the  fall, 
|and  although  we  removed  a  house  from  the  other 
!side  of  the  bay,  yet  we  experienced  much  incon- 
jvenience.  We  visited  the  Indians  daily,  for  the 
'purpose  of  conversing  and  praying  with  them. 
There  were  about  thirty,  who  had,  for  more  than 
a  year,  professed  to  experience  a  change  of 
heart.  As  my  uncle  was  experienced  in  con 
versing  with  the  unconverted,  I  endeavored  to 
pursue  his  course  in  this  respect.  Each  day  we 
took  a  different  direction  in  visiting  the  uncon 
verted.  We  would  sing,  read  the  scriptures,  and 


>96  THE   LIFE   OP 

then  pray  with  them.  Sometimes  they  would 
be  impudent,  and  even  abusive,  but  this  did  not 
discourage  us,  or  deter  us  from  our  duty.  By 
persevering,  we  soon  discovered  that  the  Lord  was 
about  to  bless  our  efforts.  While  my  uncle  was 
visiting  some  four  or  five  wigwams,  I  was  visiting 
as  many  others ;  their  wigwams  being  near  us. 
Our  influence,  with  God's  blessing,  was  now  felt 
among  them.  Singing  and  praying  were  their 
constant  employment ;  and  some  of  them  seemed 
to  know  nothing  else  but  the  enjoyment  of  the 
truth  of  the  gospel,  and  that  God  can  and  does 
11  forgive  sin."  They  became  the  happiest  of 
beings ;  their  very  souls  were  like  an  escaped 
bird,  whose  glad  wings  had  saved  it  from  danger 
and  death.  Brother  Chandler  preached  twice 
every  Sabbath,  and  taught  school  every  other 
week.  One  Sabbath,  in  January,  1835,  Brother 
Chandler  preached  from  these  words,  "  And  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  He  spoke  with 
unusual  liberty ;  I  caught  some  of  the  same  fire 
with  which  the  sermon  was  delivered ;  and  inter 
preted  it  with  much  ardor.  O  what  a  melting 
season  it  was!  The  anxious  and  expressive 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH. 


97 


looks  of  the  Indians ;  the  tears  streaming  down 
their  cheeks,  all  tended  to  add  to  the  occasion. 
My  readers,  here  was  comfort;  here  was  one 
bright  spot,  at  least,  in  my  checkered  life,  that  I 
never  can  forget.  My  poor  brethren  appeared  to 
swallow  every  word  of  the  sermon  as  I  interpret 
ed  it.  One  John  Southwind,  who  had  been  no 
toriously  cruel  and  revengeful,  was  among  the 
humblest  and  the  happiest.  He  had  been  a  great 
Conjurer. 

On  Sabbath  evenings,  every  converted  Indian 
would  try  to  induce  his  relatives  to  embrace  re 
ligion,  and  pray  in  the  wigwams  of  their  uncon 
verted  relatives.  These  happy  scenes  often  made 
me  forget  home. 

Many  of  the  unconverted,  were  very  revenge 
ful  ;  but  we  let  them  expend  their  vengeance  on 
the  air.  One  of  them,  Kah-be-wah-be-ko-kay,  i.  e. 
Spear  Maker,  threatened  to  tomahawk  us,  if  we 
should  come  to  his  wigwam  "with  the  white 
man's  religion;"  "for,"  said  he,  "already  some 
of  my  family  are  very  sick  and  crazy."  Not 
withstanding  this  threat,  we  commenced  our 
visits,  and  with  no  other  weapon  than  a  little 


98  THE    LIFE    OF 

calico  bag  containing  our  Testament  and  Hymn 
Book.  Whenever  he  saw  us  near  his  wigwam 
(we  were  obliged  to  pass  near  his  in  visiting 
other  wigwams),  he  would  run  out,  and  grumble 
and  growl  like  a  bear  escaping  from  its  den  for 
life.  In  this  way  we  continued  our  visits,  and 
had  opportunities  to  converse  with  the  family, 
which  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  all  his  chil 
dren.  In  the  month  of  February,  he  himself 
came  to  us,  and  plead  earnestly  for  our  forgiveness. 
He  had  gone  out  to  hunt  the  Martin,  with  his 
youngest  daughter,  who  was  about  ten  years  old. 
While  her  father  was  preparing  a  martin  trap,  or 
dead-fall,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  daughter 
slipped  behind  a  tree,  knelt  in  the  snow,  and 
prayed  for  her  father.  The  Lord  heard  her 
prayer.  The  old  man  "  felt  sick  in  his  heart," 
and  every  thing  he  looked  at,  appeared  to  frown 
upon  him,  and  to  bid  him  "  go  to  the  missiona 
ries,  and  they  will  tell  you  how  you  can  be 
cured."  He  returned  home  three  days  earlier 
than  he  had  intended.  Just  after  day-dawn, 
we  heard  a  number  of  Indians  praying.  John 
South  wind  came  in  and  said  to  us,  "  Ke-ge-ke-wa- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  99 

ye-wah,  Kak-be-icah-be-koo-bay  ke-che-ah-koo~sey" 
i.  e.  Your  friend  Spear  Maker  is  very  sick;  he 
wishes  you  to  call  at  his  wigwam  and  pray  with 
him.  This  was  good  news  indeed!  We  went 
at  once,  and  prayed  with  him.  He  could  not 
speak ;  hut  sat  sohhing  and  sighing  over  the  fire. 
We  conversed  with  him,  and  then  left  him ;  hut 
before  hreakfast  he  entered  our  house  with  his 
large  medicine  sack  containing  little  gods  of 
almost  every  description.  He  stood  hefore  us, 
and  said,  "  Ah  bay,  ah  was  ah  yah  mook"  —  here, 
take  this.  He  cast  the  hag,  or  sack,  down  upon 
the  floor,  and  wept  and  sohhed  hitterly,  saying, 
"  I  have  done  all  I  could  against  you,  hut  you 
have  heen  my  friends.  I  want  you  to  pray  for 
me,  and  to  hum  these  gods,  or  throw  them  where 
I  can  never  see  them."  Shortly  after  this  inter 
view,  he  ohtained  religion,  and  hecame  truly 
happy  in  the  Lord. 

There  were  many  equally  interesting  conver 
sions  ahout  this  time.  I  must  here  mention 
what  was  often  very  amusing  to  the  missiona 
ries,  and  would  often  create  a  smile,  if  nothing 
more.  When  some  of  the  Indians  were  under 


100  THE   LIFE   OF 

conviction,  they  would  take  some  of  their  own 
medicines  (herbs)  to  cure  their  "  sickness,"  —  for 
so  they  termed  conviction.  An  old  medicine  man 
once  sent  a  message  to  us,  stating  that  his  daugh 
ter  was  dying ;  and  that  it  was  caused  by  our 
singing  and  praying  before  her  so  much ;  he  also 
added,  that  in  the  event  of  her  death,  he  would 
have  his  revenge  by  killing  us,  and  insisted  upon 
it,  that  we  must  come  immediately,  and  endeavor 
to  relieve  her.  We  went,  and  after  having  pray 
ed  with  her  for  some  time,  she  revived,  and  ex 
pressed  her  confidence  that  the  Holy  Spirit  had 
operated  upon  her  heart.  The  old  man  soon 
became  convinced  that  his  daughter  was  not  dy 
ing,  except  unto  sin;  he,  therefore,  at  once,  be 
came  reconciled  and  delighted  too. 

We  now  commenced  traveling  on  snow  shoes 
within  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  around,  where  the 
Indians  were  hunting,  praying,  and  preaching  to 
them.  The  Lord  owned  and  blessed  our  labors 
wherever  we  went.  We  held  prayer  meetings 
in  the  woods.  All  this  time  the  Mah-je  Mon-e-doo 
(Bad  Spirit)  was  not  asleep.  In  the  spring  the 
Heathen  party  started  in  a  body  to  visit  their  old 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH,  101 

riend  Spear  Maker,  for  the  purpose  of  uniting 
th  him  in  dancing,  and  in  their  medicine  wor 
ship  ;  but  the  old  man  had  too  much  religion  in 
lim  to  gratify  them.  As  soon  as  they  discovered 
hat  they  could  not  prevail  upon  the  old  man, 
hey  sent  word  to  all,  that  they  could  excel  us  in 
worshiping  the  Great  Spirit;  and  that  they  in- 
ended  to  hold  their  regular  spring  Grand  Medi 
cine  Worship.  Every  night  we  held  meetings, 
rhey  commenced  with  their  paw-wahs  (singing), 
ind  beating  of  the  drums  on  the  other  side  of 
he  bay,  and  continued  it  for  a  whole  week. 
iVe  kept  up  our  usual  meetings;  and  at  the  end 
f  the  week,  their  drumming,  singing,  and  danc- 
ng  ceased.  We  continued  our  meetings  for  two 
nonths.  The  Chief  of  this  place,  was  yet  uncon- 
erted. 

During  this  spring,  Brother  Clark,  our  Super- 
ntendent,  arrived  from  the  Sault  St.  Marie,  with 
Brother  William  Herkimer  and  family,  and  my 
Cousin  Johnson.  These  were  to  take  our  places 
n  the  Mission.  We  had  now  an  excellent  quar- 
erly  meeting.  Brother  Clark  preached  a  sensi- 

le  and  warm  sermon ;  my  cousin  interpreted  it. 

13 


102  THE   LIFE    OF 

It  was  a  blessed  time;  over  twenty  were  bap 
tised  before  the  services  began.      There  was  a 
circumstance  which  rendered  the  occasion  pecu 
liarly  interesting ;  an  old  Indian  woman  of  about 
eighty  years,  came  crawling  to  the  meeting,  for 
she  was  unable  to  walk ;  her  name  was  Anna. 
The  year  before,  she  had  traveled  three  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  a  canoe,  to  be  baptised  by  Bro 
ther  Clark.    She  now  lived  about  two  miles  from 
our  Mission,  and  on  the  Sabbath,  was  brought  to 
meeting  in  a  canoe.  But  on  this  Sabbath,  the  wind 
was  so  high  that  no  canoe  could  be  launched. 
In  the  morning,  after  the  others  had  left,  she  start 
ed  for  meeting,  and  crawled  over  logs,  through 
creeks,  and  other  difficult  places  near  the  edges 
of  rocks.      Old  Anna  made  her  appearance  in 
the  house,  to  the  astonishment  as  well  as  to  the 
delight  of  all.     She  seated  herself  in  front  of  the 
preacher,  and  listened  attentively  to  the  words 
of  eternal  life.    She  united  with  others  in  praising 
God  for  his  mercy  and  goodness,  especially  to 
herself.     She  then  partook  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  her  Saviour.     She  spoke  of  the  day  in  which 
she  was  in  darkness ;  but  now  she  knew,  by  ex- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH/  103 

perience,  that  the  Lord  had  forgiven  her  sins. 
She  cared  not  for  the  water,  mud,  or  precipices,  if 
she  could  only  crawl  or  creep  to  meeting,  for  she 
felt  well  rewarded,  because  the  Lord  blessed  her. 
She  did  not,  like  some,  fear  to  soil  her  clothes ; 
neither  was  she  a  fair  day  visitor  of  meeting. 
Before  her  conversion,  she  was  a  celebrated  con- 
urer,  and  a  dread  to  the  nation;  every  one  was 
afraid  to  incur  her  displeasure.  The  last  time  I 
saw  her,  was  in  1842,  and  she  was  still  confiding 
in  the  Lord. 

We  were  now  to  accompany  Brother  Clark  to 
St.  Marie.  "We  started  on  Tuesday  afternoon  at 
about  three  o'clock,  in  our  large  bark  canoe, 
which  was  about  thirty-six  feet  long,  five  feet 
wide  in  the  centre,  and  three  feet  high.  We 
paddled  about  nine  miles.  On  the  next  morn- 
.ng,  we  hoisted  our  sail  before  a  fresh  breeze  and 
sailed  at  the  rate  of  nine  knots  an  hour.  We 
•cached  the  point  on  the  Sand  Banks  in  the 
evening,  having  previously  tarried  three  hours 
with  the  Indians  at  Grand  Island.  The  next 
lay  we  sailed  about  six  miles  from  the  shore ;  it 
was  quite  boisterous;  and  when  in  the  trough  of 


104  THE    LIFE   OF 

the  wave  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  see  the  land. 
We  now  came  within  a  few  miles  of  White-fish 
Point.  On  the  following  day  we  hoisted  our  sail 
again,  and  had  a  favorable  wind ;  we  went  down 
the  Falls  of  St.  Marie  in  handsome  style,  about 
twelve  o'clock.  WaMb-ke-neioh*  (White  Eagle) 
walked  about  Sault  St.  Marie  attending  to  the 
interests  of  the  Missions.  He  was  the  theme  of 
conversation  in  every  circle,  for  none  had  ever 
traveled  the  distance  in  so  short  a  time.  The 
traders  were  much  surprised.  The  Indians  could 
hardly  think  it  possible  for  any  person  to  travel 
the  distance  in  so  short  a  time. 

NOTE. — On  our  way  to  St.  Marie,  we  saw  that 
one  of  the  Points  of  Grand  Island  had  sunk.  It 
was  formed  of  quicksand.  It  was  told  to  the 
trader,  Charles  Holiday,  by  the  Indians,  that  the 
Great  Spirit  had  removed  from  under  that  point 
to  some  other  place,  because  the  Methodist  Mis- 


*  This  was  the  name  given  by  my  poor  brethren  to  Brother  Clark,  and  ai 
more  appropriate  one  could  not  have  been  given.-^!TA.e  King  of  Birds. 
They  knew  that  he  had  come  to  bo  instrumental  in  saving  their  never  dying; 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  105 

sionaries  had  encamped  there  the  previous  fall, 
and  had,  by  their  prayers  driven  the  Spirit  from 
under  the  point.  They  did  not  wish  the  mis 
sionaries  to  encamp  any  where  on  their  Island 
again,  fearing  that  the  Island  would  sink. 


IOG  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  XI. 

WE  spent  a  few  weeks  at  the  Sault  with  the 
brethren,  with  whom  we  had  some  precious  sea 
sons.  We  were  soon  informed  by  our  beloved 
Superintendent  that  three  of  us  would  have  to 
go  to  Ottawa  Lake :  —  Taunchey,  Marksman,  and 
myself.  We  had,  as  was  supposed,  provisions 
enough  to  last  till  we  reached  La  Pointe,  where 
we  were  to  obtain  a  fresh  supply  for  seven 
months.  Brothers  Tah-yash,  and  Ma-inah-skah- 
wash  i.  e.  Fast-sailer,  accompanied  us.  We  had 
a  new  canoe,  good  oars,  and  a  new  sail.  After 
leaving,  the  first  place  which  we  arrived  at  was 
about  six  miles  above  the  Sault  St.  Marie.  We 
here  saw  a  porcupine  on  the  beach ;  and  having 
beat  it  to  death,  we  cooked  and  ate  it  for  supper 
After  this  we  were  wind-bound  for  several  day 
which  delaved  our  arrival  at  the  Ke-wa-we-non 


: 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  107 

Mission,  on  our  way  to  La  Pointe.     On  entering 
Aunce   Bay,  we  were  in  much   danger.      The 
wind  rose,  with  a  dense  fog  accompanying  it, 
and  we  were  without  a  compass.     We  steered 
our  course  by  the  wind.     We  were  very  near  be 
ing  dashed  to  pieces  against  a  large  rock  a  few  feet 
from  us,  which  we  espied  just  in  time  to  avoid. 
I  had  been  on  Lake  Superior,  but  never  saw  the 
waves  run  so  high  as  on  the  present  occasion. 
It  was  truly  wonderful  that  our  bark  canoe  stood 
the  sea  so  well.     Nor  could  we  see  any  prospect 
of  landing.     Still  the  spray  of  the  gigantic  waves 
continued  to  roll  after  us  in  terrific  fury.     The 
canoe    still    struggled    between    the   mountain 
jwaves,  and  then  would  rise  on  the  top.     The  sail 
(spread  itself  like  a  duck  just  ready  to  fly.     It  ap 
peared  at  times  that  we  must  all  perish.     But 
d  was  with  us.     O  how  kind  and  merciful  is 
that  Being  who  has  the  winds  and  waves  in  his 
lands  !     "  O  Lord  Twill  praise  thee,"  etc.     It  is 
•eligion  alone  that  can  support  in  time  of  danger. 
Faith  lays  hold  on  God.      Yes,  let  distress,  sick 
ness,  trials,  perils,  and  even  death  come,  yet  if  in 
thy  hands,  O  Lord,  we  are  secure. 


108  THE    LIFE    OF 

Through  a  kind  providence,  we  arrived  at  last 
at  Brother  Herkimer's,  about  ten  o'clock,  A.  M. 
How  we  surprised  them  when  they  were  told 
that  we  sailed  all  the  morning  through  the  fog. 
They  at  once  saw  the  danger ;  but  we  could  take 
no  other  course.  We  remained  here  but  a  few 
days.  On  Tuesday,  we  left  for  La  Pointe,  one 
hundred  and  sixty  miles.  Here  was  another 
tedious  journey,  for  we  were  again  wind-bound 
for  three  days ;  in  consequence  of  this  misfortune 
our  provisions  were  exhausted.  We  went  to 
Ah-too-nah-kun  River  on  Friday  evening,  and 
traveled  all  night  to  reach  Porcupine  Mountains, 
where  we  arrived  at  day  light.  We  stepped  out 
of  the  canoe,  took  our  blankets,  wrapped  them 
around  us,  and  lay  on  the  solid  rocks,  where  we 
slept  about  an  hour  and  a  half.  Saturday  morn 
ing  arrived,  and  found  us  with  nothing  but  half 
a  pound  of  tea ;  we  were  now  eighty-eight  miles 
from  La  Pointe.  We  rowed  all  the  morning,  when 
a  favorable  breeze  sprung  up,  which  enabled  us 
to  gain  fifty  miles  during  that  day.  After  night 
fall  we  toiled  to  reach  La  Pointe  by  twelve 
o'clock  on  Saturday  night;  but  we  were  so  fa- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  109 

tigued,  sleepy,  and  hungry,  that  it  was  impossi 
ble  to  continue  rowing.     Now  and  then  a  little 
land-breeze  would  help  us  along  slowly,  without 
rowing.     At  last  we  were  obliged  to  give  up  row 
ing,  as  the  oars  were  dragging  in  the  water.     I 
steered  the  boat  as  well  as  I  could.     We  labored 
hard  to  keep   awake.     I  thought  of  the  tea ;  I 
chewed   a   mouthful  of  it   and   swallowed   the 
juice;  but  in  a  few  minutes  I  suffered  so  much 
from  a  griping  pain  that  I  was  alarmed.    Oh  I  was 
miserable,  sick,  and  hungry.     I  could  not  wake 
any  of  the  company ;  and  when  my  pain  ceased, 
;  I  could  scarcely  keep  myself  awake.      I  now 
f  steered  for  the  shore ;  it  was  about  twelve  o'clock. 
j  I  threw  my  blanket  around  me,  and  left  all  hands 
;i  sleeping  in  the  boat.     I  threw  up  a  little  bank  of 
r  sand   for   a  pillow,  and  the  soft  wet  sand  was 
i  |my  bed.     I  was  soon  in  the  land  of  Nod. 

Sabbath  morning  came.     I  had  dreamed  that 
e  were  just  about  sitting  down  to  a  warm  break- 
t,  when  Peter  Marksman  awoke  me,  and  said, 
George,  come,  get  up,  blackfast  (breakfast,  he 
eant,  he  could  speak  but  little  English).     If  it 

fa  had  not  been  the  Sabbath,  I  might  have  been  in- 

14 


110  THE   LIFE   OF 

duced   to  retaliate.      It  was  indeed,  a  blackfast, 
dark  enough ;  nothing  to  eat,  and  only  tea  to  drink 
for  breakfast,  dinner  and  supper!  and  yet,  only 
about  fiften  miles  from  La  Pointe;  indeed,  we 
could  see  the  place ;  and  had  it  not  been  that  it 
was  the  Sabbath,  feeble  as  we  were,  we  would 
have  proceed.    Here,  then,  we  spent  the  Sabbath. 
I  walked  into  the  woods,  and  all  that  I  could  think 
of  while  reading  my  Bible,  was  home.     I  looked 
towards  home,  and  wept  at  the  thought  of  it.     I 
said  to  myself,  O  my  father,  if  you  knew  my 
situation   to-day,  you   would  feel    for   me,    and 
fly,  if  possible,  to  assist  me !      I  feel  that  your] 
prayers  ascend  for  me ;  and  then   descend  like 
gentle  rains,  into  my  soul.    Home !  home !  however] 
humble,  it  is  still  home.     This  day,  however,  is  ajij 
glorious  day  for  my  soul ;  but  how  insupportable  •! 
for  the  body  !     "We  had  a  prayer  meeting  in  the  { 
evening,  which  is  still  as  fresh  in  my  grateful 
memory  as  if  it  had  but  just  taken  place. 

Monday  morning,  before  the  sun  arose,  we 
were  on  our  way  to  La  Pointe,  where  we  arrived 
about  ten  o'clock.  Mr.  Warren,  the  trader  ai 
this  place,  supplied  us  with  some  necessaries 


K  AH-GE-G  A-G  AH-B  0  WH . 


Ill 


re  breakfasted  with  him,  and  never  did  fish  and 

>tatoes  taste  half  so  sweet  as  now. 

We  called  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hall,  and  others  of 
the  Presbyterian  Mission.  How  kindly  they  re 
ceived  and  entertained  us ;  they  compelled  us  to 
live  in  their  families,  while  we  remained  in  that 
>lace.  We  had  now  to  prepare  to  depart  for  Ot- 

twa  Lake,  where  we  had  been   appointed   by 

to-other  Clark  to  spend  the  winter,  in  teaching 

the  Indians.    O  what  a  field  for  labor  in  all  these 

regions !     Indians,  from  every  direction,  congre- 

ite  here  every  summer ;  those,  too,  who  have 
tever  heard  of  a  Saviour ! 

When  will  all  my  poor  people  "  sit  together  in 
Leavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus"?  When  will 
they  cease  to  offer  up  to  the  Bad  Spirit  all  they 

>ssess  ?     Shall  these  also  perish  as  did  the  Indi- 

LS  on  the  eastern  coast  ?  The  red  men  of  the 
forest  were  then  unconscious  that  the  white  man 

rould  at  some  future  day,  spread  his  white  sails 
>n  these  waters,  and  claim  their  native  woods; 
that  a  steamboat  would  make  its  appearance, 
like  a  monster  from  the  deep,  snorting  fire  and 


112  THE   LIFE    OF 

smoke,  near  their  shores.      God  of  mercy,  save, 
save  my  poor  people. 

We  started  for  the  Ottawa  Lake  about  the 
eighth  of  October,  1835.  We  had  to  carry  our 
canoes,  with  the  rest  of  our  articles,  over  eight 
portages,  or  carrying  places,  one  of  which  was 
nine,  and  another  five  miles  long.  No  language 
can  convey  an  idea  of  the  hardships  and  toil  to 
which  we  were  exposed,  before  we  reached  there ; 
for  we  had  to  carry  all  our  things  over  the  carry 
ing  places ;  and  as  it  was  too  late  in  the  fall,  an< 
on  account  of  the  disagreeableness  of  the  wea 
ther,  we  were  obliged  to  return  to  La  Pointe, 
The  winter  set  in,  and  we  traveled  one  hundred 
and  seventy  miles  by  land.  It  was  on  one  of  the* 
carrying  places  that  I  carried  the  heavy  loa< 
mentioned  on  page  19. 

When  we  arrived  at  Ottawa  Lake,  the  Indiai 
were  glad  to  see  us.  The  Chief,  Moose  Ogeed, 
Moose  tail,  was  particularly  kind.  Here  we  la 
bored  with  success,  though  at  the  time  many  ol 
them  were  absent  hunting.  I  commenced  a  day- 
school  with  few  scholars.  During  the  winter  oui 
provisions  gave  out;  for  seven  weeks  we  had 


K  AH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH . 


113 


thing,  except  what  we  caught  by  spearing  and 
ooting;  but  in  the  latter  part  of  the  winter 
could  neither  shoot  rabbits,  nor  spear  fish, 
at  now  was  to  be  done,  except  to  go  to  La 
ointe,  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles,  and  ob- 
in  some  flour.  We  ran  nearly  all  day  through 
e  woods,  and  the  next  day  my  feet  were  blis- 
red,  occasioned  by  the  strap  of  my  snow  shoes, 
he  young  man  who  accompanied  me,  suffered 
Jtill  more,  for  the  blood  was  oozing  out  through 
is  moccasons.  At  the  expiration  of  two  days, 
t  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  were  at 
v.  Mr.  Hall's,  at  La  Pointe.  Brother  Hall 
ould  hardly  credit  the  fact  that  we  had  walked 
ne  hundred  and  seventy  miles  in  less  that  two 
ays. 

On  returning  to  the  mission,  we  were  one  week 
n  our  journey.     I  had  over  seventy  pounds  of 
TO  visions  to  carry  when  I  left,  and  my  friend 
nd  companion,  whom  I  hired,  had  eighty-five 
unds.     The  Indians  too  were  almost  starving; 
ut  the  spring  opened  just  in  time  to  save  them, 
their  journey,  down  the  river,  we  accompanied 
them,  and  had  an  opportunity  to  converse  with 


114  THE    LIFE    OF 

them  about  religion.  On  our  way,  the  Indians 
pointed  to  the  battle  grounds  of  the  Ojebwas  and! 
the  Sioux.  How  dreadful  and  awful  was  their} 
description.  The  Chief,  pointing  to  a  certain 
spot,  observed,  "  There  I  killed  two  Sioux,  about! 
thirteen  winters  ago ;  I  cut  open  one  of  them  ;] 
and  when  I  reflected  that  the  Sioux  had  cut  up! 
my  own  cousin,  but  a  year  before,  I  took  out  his 
heart,  cut  a  piece  from  it,  and  swallowed  it) 
whole.  I  scooped  some  of  his  blood,  while  warm, 
with  my  hand,  and  drank  as  many  draughts  as] 
the  number  of  friends  who  had  perished  by  theirj 
hands."  As  he  spoke,  the  fierceness  of  the  Indian] 
gleamed  from  his  countenance.  Every  half  mile^j 
trees  were  blazed  (barked),  and  notches  made 
according  to  the  number  that  had  been  killed. 

The  Sioux  and  the  Ojebwas  have  been  at  war 
from  time  immemorial.  The  neutral  ground  of 
these  two  nations,  is  full  of  game,  such  as  deer, 
bears,  elks,  etc.  We  went  down  to  the  Me-no- 
me-nee  Mills,  on  the  Chippewa  River,  where  the 
whites  were  cutting  down  pine  trees.  We  then 
returned  to  Ottawa  Lake,  and,  afterwards,  to  La 
Pointe. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  1 15 

During  this  winter  I  was  with  the  Rev.  Mr. 
lall,  at  La  Pointe,  and  assisted  him  in  translat- 
ng  the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke,  and  the  Acts  of  the 
postles,  into  the  Ojebwa  tongue.  Although  I 
lave  sat  hour  after  hour  in  assisting  him  in  his 
^ood  work  in  the  west,  yet  I  can  never,  never  re- 
>ay  him  for  the  kindness  and  affection  shown  to 
ne.  May  God  reward  him  for  his  labors  of  love, 
md  for  his  Christian  benevolence.  He  is  like  a 
)ure  and  limpid  stream  which  is  ever  running, 
ind  which  never  dries  up.  He  is  like  a  high 
ock  on  the  sea  shore,  when  the  storms  and 

aves  have  passed  by,  unchanging  and  unchang 
ed.     He  is  in  all  respects  the  most  suitable  man 
or  this  work,  being  devoted,  humble,  kind,  affec- 
ionate,    and  benevolent,  and  is   master  of  our 
anguage.     I  hope  to  see  him  once,  if  not  many 
imes,  more,  that  I  may  thank  him  again  and 
again  for  his  Christian  goodness.     May  his  holy 
and  arduous  life,  and  health,  be  precious  in  God's 
sight. 

Here  I  must  make  a  remark.  In  that  country, 
we  ought  not  to  know  each  other  as  Presbyte 
rians,  Methodists,  or  Baptists,  but  only  as  mis- 


116  THE    LIFE    OF 

sionaries  of  the  cross.  We  should  labor  with 
and  for  each  other ;  and  do  all  the  good  we  can. 
Our  language  should  always  be,  "come  bre 
thren,  let  us  labor  side  by  side,  hold  up  each 
others  hands  in  the  work,  share  each  others 
trials  and  privations;  and  spread  the  gospel  of 
the  blessed  God."  May  many  Brother  Halls  be 
raised  up  for  these  stations ;  so  that  the  poor 

outcast   red   man,   may    soon   take   his   station 

/ 

among  Christians  of  every  civilized  clime. 
Should  these  observations  fall  under  the  eye  of 
dear  Brother  Hall,  he  will,  I  am  sure,  forgive  me 
for  the  warm  and  candid  confessions  of  a  sincere 
heart. 


K  AH-GE-GA-G  AH-BOWH .  117 


CHAPTER  XIL 


WE  spent  part  of  the  summer  at  La  Pointe, 
waiting  for  our  Superintendent,  Rev.  John  Clark, 
,who  intended  to  go  by  the  way  of  Ottawa  Lake 
down  the  Mississippi.  He  arrived  the  latter  part 
of  June,  with  his  companions.  We  went  in  two 
canoes  up  Bad  River,  and  thence  over  the  Porta 
ges,  already  named.  We  divided  our  provisions, 
bedding,  etc.,  etc.,  so  that  each  should  carry 
an  equal  weight.  In  ascending  Bad  River  we 
were  nearly  half  of  the  time  in  the  water,  drag- 
ng  the  canoe  up  the  stream.  One  day  Brother 
Dlark  stepped  on  a  rock  above  the  water,  in  the 
centre  of  the  river,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  the 
mnoe  while  those  that  were  exceedingly  tired, 
night  rest.  As  soon  as  he  had  put  his  foot  on 
,he  rock,  the  canoe  wheeled  around  with  the 

current,  which  drew  him  into  it,  and  carried  him 

16 


118  THE   LIFE    OF 


down  the  river.  We  were  alarmed  for  some 
time,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  efforts  that  we 
could  save  him.  At  times,  we  could  only  see 
his  white  hat  above  the  water.  At  first,  we 
could  not  render  him  the  least  assistance.  The 
stream  conveyed  him  near  the  shore,  where  he 
seized  the  limb  of  a  tree,  which  enabled  him  to 
reach  land.  We  hurried  to  the  spot  where  he 
landed,  jumped  out  of  the  canoe,  and  ran  after 
him,  but  before  we  could  see  him,  we  heard  him 
cry  out  "  whoop"  and  in  a  few  moments  saw 
him  coming  through  the  leaves  soaking  wet. 
We  were  all  thankful  indeed  to  see  him  alive, 
and  so  cheerful  too.  On  that  day  we  would  not 
permit  him  to  carry  but  two  loads  or  packs,  the 
others  carried  three.  Our  wish  was  that  he 
should  not  at  any  time  carry  any  thing ;  but  he 
insisted  upon  helping  us,  and  to  this  we  had  to/ 
submit.  This  was  one  of  those  kind  traits  which; 
endeared  him  so  much  to  all  his  fellow  laborers.. 
He  has  also  shared  the  last  morsel  of  bread  with  us. 
Often  has  he  carried  the  canoe  on  his  back ;  and 
when  we  were  discouraged  and  faint,  he  would 
encourage  us  by  his  cheerful  countenance,  andr 


K  AH-GE-G  A-G  AH-BO  WH .  119 

words  of  consolation.  Our  sinking  hearts  have 
often  been  made  to  beat  with  emotions  of  joy ; 
for  during  these  journeys  we  had  ample  reasons 
and  time  for  desponding.  But  according  to  our 
trials,  did  we  enjoy  the  smiles  of  heaven. 

We  were  three  days  going  over  the  Nine  Mile 
Portage,  where  we  spent  the  Sabbath.  We  had 
three  loads  each ;  and  the  two  canoes  were  also 
to  be  carried,  each  one  taking  his  turn  every  half 
mile.  We  were  now  completely  jaded  out;  our 
bones  ached.  This  was  the  hardest  journey  that 
I  ever  made,  with  the  exception  of  the  one  which 
will  hereafter  be  related. 

After  severe  toil  and  privations,  we  arrived  at 
Ottawa  Lake,  where  Brother  Clark  met  the  chief 
and  some  of  his  warriors  in  council.  He  explain 
ed  the  object  of  our  visit,  viz.  to  live  among  them 
and  teach  them ;  to  which  the  chief  assented. 

Brother  Clark  now  left  Johnson,  Marksman, 
and  myself  here,  to  do  all  the  good  we  could. 
On  departing,  we  accompanied  him  down  the  ri 
ver  for  two  days ;  and  on  the  first  of  August  we 
bade  each  other  farewell. 

That  day,  Peter  and  John  were  inconsolable, 


120  THE    LIFE    OF 

because  Brother  Clark  and  the  rest  had  left  us  for 
a  whole  year.  I  felt  so  "  choked  up "  and  de 
serted,  that  I  talked  but  little  during  the  day. 
After  praying,  as  Brother  Clark  was  parting  with 
us,  and  our  heads  were  resting  on  the  canoe,  he 
said,  "Brethren,  take  courage;  do  all  the  good 
you  can.  Pray  much  ;  trust  in  God ;  tell  the  In 
dians  how  the  Saviour  died;  we  will  pray  for 
you;  good  bye;  and  may  the  Lord  bless  you  and 
your  labors." 

We  returned  to  Ottawa  Lake,  and  built  a 
house,  where  we  resided  during  the  year.  Quite 
late  in  the  fall,  Johnson  and  Marksman  left  me, 
and  went  to  La  Pointe,  where  they  remained  all 
the  winter.  It  is  true,  there  were  but  few  In 
dians  here,  but  yet,  too  many  for  one  teacher. 
They  wished  me  to  go  with  them,  but  I  preferred, 
from  a  sense  of  duty,  to  spend  the  winter  and 
spring  in  teaching,  singing,  and  praying  among 
the  people  here.  In  the  spring  an  interesting 
conversion  took  place;  the  convert  committed 
the  fourteenth  chapter  of  St.  John  before  he  had 
learned  the  alphabet.  This  young  man  had 
been  remarkably  kind,  and  humane,  before  his 


K  AH-GE-GA-GAH-BO  WH . 

onversion ;  he  was  more  like  a  Christian  than 
ny  unconverted  man  I  ever  saw.    I  never  heard 
ny  thing  proceed  from  his  mouth  that  was  cen- 
urable.      One  Sabbath  morning,  while  we  were 
n  the  woods,  I  was  reading  to  him,  "God  so 
:>ved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
on,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him,  might  not 
erish,  but  have  everlasting  life."     This  was  like 
,n  arrow  in  his  heart ;  he  prayed,  and  wrestled 
rith  God,  until  the  Lord  spoke  peace  to  his  soul. 
In  the  summer,    when  Johnson   and  Marks- 
nan  arrived,  John  and  I  went  down  to  Prairie 
)u   Chien,    on   the   Mississippi.      On  our  way, 
re  had  to  pass  through  the  land  of  the  Sioux, 
:ie  enemies  of  the  Ojebwas,  and  we  knew  not 
vhat  would  be  our  fate.     However,  we  pursued 
ur  course  and  ventured  at  their  village.      As 
oon  as  we  approached,   they  raised   the   war- 
whoop  and  fired  some  guns  over  our  heads,  and 
the  bullets  either  splashed  in  front  of  our  canoe, 
Dr  whizzed  about  our  heads.    Still,  we  kept  on  our 
course,  and  as  soon  as  we  stepped  from  our  canoe, 
they  seized  us,  and  kept  us  prisoners  for  nearly 
three  days.     When  we  told  them  (through  an  in- 


122  THE    LIFE    OF 

terpreter)  that  we  were  missionaries,  they  released 
us,  and  treated  us  kindly.  On  the  third  day  wd 
were  on  the  water  again,  on  our  way  to  Prairie; 
Du  Chien,  which  place  we  reached,  and  there! 
saw  Brother  Branson,  the  Superintendent  foil 
that  year.  We  accompanied  him  to  St.  Peters! 
near  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony;  and  the  samd 
summer,  through  the  kindness  of  Brother  Clarka 
we  were  sent  to  school  near  Jacksonville,  Illinois.! 
To  Brother  Clark,  under  God,  I  owe  all  the! 
education  (little  as  it  is)  which  I  now  possess. 
Before  this,  I  could  neither  speak  nor  read  five 
words  correctly.  Brothers  Johnson,  Marksman, 
and  myself,  were  placed  under  the  care  of  the  Rev; 
Jno.  Mitchell,  now  an  assistant  at  the  Book  Con 
cern,  in  Cincinnatti.  For  two  years  we  attended 
school  at  the  Ebenezer  Seminary,  about  two  miles 
north  of  Jacksonville.  At  this  institution,  I  pass 
ed  some  of  the  happiest  seasons  of  my  life.  Many\ 
who  were  with  me  at  this  school,  are  now  minis 
ters  of  the  Gospel,  both  among  the  whites  and  the* 
Indians.  The  groves  seemed  vocal  with  the  prak 
ses  of  God.  The  camp  meeting,  and  the  quarterly 
meetings,  which  I  then  attended,  are  still  fresfr 


K  AH-GE-G  A-GAH-BOWH .  1 23 

ft  my  memory.     The  remembrance  of  the  many 
elightful   acquaintances    formed,    the    appoint- 
pients  filled,  the  interesting  meetings  I  attended 
i  different  parts,    about  Jacksonville,    at   Lyn- 
ille,  Manchester,  Rushville,  and  Versailes,  will 
hvays  hold  a  seat  in  my  heart.      It  was  here 
hat  I  learned  to  read  the  word  of  God,  and  often, 
or  hours  together,  upon  my  knees,  in  the  groves, 
ave  I  been  thus  engaged.     O  the  sweet  com- 
nunion  I  then  had  with  God  ! 
Among  the  many  letters  which  I  have  since 
ceived  from  my  school-mates,  I  will  trouble  the 
reader  only  with  the  following : — 

MT.  STERLING,  Brown  Co.,  III.  \ 
February  8th,  1845.      J 

)EAR  BROTHER  COPWAY, 

With  pleasure  I  improve  this  privilege  of  answering  your 
ind  epistle,  and  taking  a  "  paper  talk  "  with  you.     By  the 
lessings  of  the  good  Lord,  we  are  well.     But  I  hear  you  say 
What  does  he  mean  by  we?"  —  Only  myself,  my  wife,  and 
oy  !     Now  if  you  will  pardon  me   this    time  for  marrying 
oung,  I  will  promise  never  to  do  so  again.     But  I  think  you 
ill  not  be  severe  in  your  censure,  inasmuch  as  I  have  a  wor 
thy  precedent  in  you.    Brother  Troy  traveled  three  years,  and 
married  Brother  Stratten's  daughter,  of  Pike  county ;  and  I, 
who  commenced  three  years  after  himr  preached  two  years, 
and  married  another ;  so  we,  who  had  long  been  brothers,  be 
came  brothers-in-law.     Brother  Wm.  Piper  was  married  since 


124  THE    LIFE    OF 

conference,  to  Squire  Baynes'  daughter,  near  Columbus. 
Harden  Wallace  married  Miss  Bronson,  of  Athens,  one  year 
since.  Brother  S.  Spates  is  on  a  visit  to  his  friends,  and  has  the 
ague ;  neither  he  nor  Reason  is  married,  but  have  "  good  de 
sires."  I  visited  Brother  George,  two  weeks  since. 

We  have  glorious  times  in  religion.  O  it  would  have  done 
you  good  to  have  heard  Dr.  Akers  tell  his  experience,  in  our 
last  quarterly  meeting.  In  speaking  of  his  sanctification  he 
said,  with  a  peculiar  emphasis,  while  his  lips  trembled  and 
tears  filled  his  eyes,  "It  was  the  revelation  of  the  Son  of  God 
in  me"  But  time  would  fail  to  tell  of  these  "  Ebenezer  "  boys, 
who  through  faith,  preach  "  big  sermons,"  exhort  thousands, 
"  who  are  valiant  in  fight,"  who  slaughter  many  a  sinner, 
and  wear  the  marks  of  many  a  well  fought  field,  although  death 
has  done  his  work  among  us  !  Our  faithful  teacher,  and  a  be 
loved  schoolmate,  Brothers  Troy  and  Piper,  are  no  more  ;  they 
fell  victims  to  fever  just  after  conference  ;  but  they  fell  like  mar 
tyrs,  they  died  at  their  post.  Brother  Troy  and  I,  attended  Bro. 
Piper's  funeral  (the  sermon  was  preached  by  Brother  Berryman) 
at  Barry.  It  was  a  solemn  time.  While  I  stood  by  his  coffin, 
I  thought  of  you  all,  and  of  Brother  Huddlestun,  who  had  gone 
before  him.  The  day  before  I  left,  Father  Stratten,  Brother 
Troy,  and  I,  walked  out  on  the  Mississippi  bluffs,  while  the 
bright  surface  of  the  river  reflected  upon  us  the  last  rays  of 
the  setting  sun.  We  talked  of  the  happy  days  of  other  years, 
spent  with  kindred  spirits  now  scattered  over  the  world.  His 
breast  seemed  warmed  at  the  recollection.  The  flame  of  his 
zeal  mounted  high,  and  pointing  to  the  bright  waters  that  rolled 
in  the  distance,  he  said,  "  I  feel  like  preaching  till  the  last  sin 
ner  on  the  last  tributary  of  that  stream  is  converted  to  God." 
Alas  !  he  had  even  then  preached  his  last  sermon.  Peace  to 
their  memory.  "  They  taught  us  how  to  live,  and  O  how  high 
the  price  of  knowledge,  taught  us  how  to  die."  Sister  Piper, 
and  her  two  children,  live  at  her  own  home  in  Barry ;  Sister 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  125 

Troy,  with  one  child,  lives  with  her  father.  You  have,  per 
haps,  read  the  obituaries  of  Brothers  Benson,  Otwell,  Corey, 
Edmunson,  and  Hale  —  gone  home.  Brother  N.  W.  Allen, 
married  down  south,  and  John  Mathers  to  Miss  Julia  Tucker. 
Brother  Heddenburg  is  in  Springfield.  I  believe  M.  has  con 
cluded  not  to  marry,  but  to  keep  Louse  for  her  father.  Moses 
C.  lives  and  prospers  in  Petersburgh  Circuit. 

March  I3th.  I  commence  again,  not  having  time  to  finish 
when  I  commenced.  I  record  with  sorrow  the  death  of  our 
child,  aged  eight  months.  The  affliction  of  one  short  week, 
carried  him  beyond  the  sorrows  incident  to  mortality,  to  rest 
with  God.  O  it  was  a  trial  to  see  him  sink  in  death,  and  bear 
him  to  the  grave.  But  now,  thank  God, 

"  The  storm  that  wrecks  the  winter  sky, 

No  more  disturbs  his  sweet  repose, 
Than  summer  evening's  latest  sigh, 

That  shuts  the  rose." 

The  Lord  has  given  us  some  tokens  for  good  ;  we  have  some 
glorious  prayer  and  class  meetings.  Thirteen  joined  on  my 
last  round.  I  expect  Brother  Wallace  with  me  at  a  protracted 
meeting  next  week;  can. you  not  come  too  ? 

Well,  Brother  George,  how  do  you  get  along  in  religion  ? 
This  is  the  subject  all  important.  Time,  in  its  rapid  roll,  still 
bears  us  on.  The  sun  stood  still  in  Gibeon,  but  time  did  not 
stand  still.  The  sun  went  back  ten  degrees  on  the  dial  of 
Ahaz,  but  time  rolled  on  with  unremitting  speed.  Mutation 
is  written  all  around  us.  The  little  flower,  so  bright,  is  nip 
ped  by  the  untimely  frost  of  winter.  The  rainbow  is  beautiful, 
but  it  passes  away  with  the  weeping  cloud.  And  O  how  soon 
the  fleeting  years  of  time  will  be  lost  amid  the  mighty  cycles 
of  eternity.  And  yet,  my  brother,  we  know  that  on  this  inch 
of  time  hang  everlasting  things.  Lord,  help  us  to  stamp 

16 


126  THE   LIFE   OF 

every  moment  with  improvement.  Now,  if  God  has  entrusted 
to  us  the  care  of  souls  immortal,  how  should  we  pray  and  la 
bor,  lest  we  should  lose  a  prize  so  dear ! 

Brother  George,  I  shall  never  forget  our  band  society,  and 
"  young  men's  "  prayer  meeting ;  these  were  precious  seasons. 
Though  I  view  my  brethren  falling  round  me,  the  hope  of  im 
mortality  makes  "  the  valley  of  the  shadow  "  flame  with  the 
glory  of  God.  Thank  God  for  religion  that  can  conquer  death, 
and  view  the  grave  as  but  a  subterranean  passage  to  the  skies. 
Go  on  —  I  expect  to  hail  you  in  a  better  clime.  Brother,  I 
think  I  have  experienced  that  the  blood  of  Christ  deanseth  from 
all  sin.  O  glorious  truth  !  Have  you  not  found  it  too  ?  It  is 
by  simple  Faith. 

"  Faith  has  an  eye  no  tears  can  dim ; 

A  heart  no  griefs  can  stir. 
She  bears  the  cross,  and  looks  to  Him 

Who  bore  the  cross  for  her." 

Go  on,  brother;  the  land  of  rest  lies  just  across  the  rolling 
tide  of  Jordan.  Methinks  I  see  a  Troy,  a  Huddlestun,  and 
Piper,  put  forth  their  hands  from  the  banks  of  glory,  to  beckon 
us  onward.  They  look  out  for  us  ;  O  let  us  not  disappoint 
them !  You  know  the  north  and  south  talk  of  division  j  thank 
God  they  can't  divide  me,  nor  break  those  ties  that  bind  me  to 
good  brethren  everywhere,  from  whom  "joy,  nor  grief,  nor 
time,  nor  place,  nor  life,  nor  death,  can  part." 

I  must  close  my  scattering  letter,  though  not  half  done. 
Brother  come  down,  and  I'll  try  and  tell  you  the  rest.  We  can 
go  over  to  Ebenezer  and  have  a  meeting.  Pitner  is  there  now. 
He  says  that  the  Lord  has  the  best  market  in  the  universe ; 
Christian  duties  are  always  good  sale  there,  and  then  we  are 
sure  to  get  a  "  back  load  "  of  grace.  He  says,  "  the  Lord  has 
a  great  big  two-story  ware-house :  the  promise  of  the  life  that 
now  is,  that's  the  lower  story ;  and  of  that  which  is  to  come, 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  127 

this  is  the  upper  story.     There,"  says  he,  "brethren,  I'll  not 
tell  you  any  more,  you'll  have  to  die  to  know  the  rest." 

My  very  best  respects  to  your  lady,  and  the  little  Copways. 

Yours,  fraternally, 

WILLIAM  J.  RUTLEDGE. 

N.  B.  Dr.  Vandevanter,  Brother  Bond,  and  many  others, 
still  speak  of  your  preaching  at  Versailes.  We  have  some 
good  times  there  now.  Brothers  Billy  and  Cabbie  Patterson 
are  married ;  yes,  and  Aquilla  too.  He  preaches,  and  tea 
ches  school.  Brothers  Saxon  still  goes  it  with  a  rush.  The 
"  first  year "  class  of  boys  in  this  conference,  are  now  first 
rate ;  some  of  them  could  almost  stride  a  mountain.  O  sir, 
it  would  do  you  good  to  see  Brother  Billy  Piper  throw  his  sear 
ing  thunderbolts  and  rive  the  forest  oak,  or  bury  them  in  the 
smoking  earth.  See  him  rise  in  the  fulness  of  his  strength, 
and  exclaim,  "  Man  fell ;  Heaven  was  robed  in  silence,  Earth 
in  sorrow,  and  Hell  alone  was  glad."  Farewell. 

W.  J.  R. 

I  attended  several  of  the  Conferences ;  the  last 
of  which  was  in  Bloomfield,  in  1839,  where  I 
parted  with  some  of  my  dearest  friends  and  com 
panions,  for  nine  months.  Still  it  was  pleasant 
to  reflect  that  the  Conference  had  appointed 
Brothers  Spates,  Huddleston,  Johnson,  and  Peter 
Marksman,  to  labor  at  the  head  of  the  Mississippi. 
Brother  Kavanaugh  was  appointed  Superinten 
dent  of  the  Missions  for  that  year.  I  was  allowed 
to  visit  home  in  the  fall,  to  see  my  friends.  I 


128  THE    LIFE    OF 

traveled  to  Chicago  free  of  expense;  I  drove 
a  pair  of  fine  grey  horses  for  an  individual  who 
was  on  his  road  to  that  place.  We  slept  in  our 
wagons  every  night.  At  Chicago*  I  embarked  in 
a  schooner  for  Buffalo;  but  getting  tired  of  this, 
left  it  at  Detroit,  and  took  steamboat  for  Buf 
falo,  where  I  arrived  just  about  day  light.  I 
had  lost  my  cap,  the  wind  blew  it  into  the  lake, 
with  my  pocket-book,  containing  $27  in  bills, 
and  $2  -  50  in  silver,  with  a  silk  handkerchief,  in 
which  my  all  was  wrapped.  Here  I  was,  mo 
neyless,  friendless,  and  hatless,  and  in  a  strange 
land  !  I  had,  however,  a  little  change  left.  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  to  visit  the  East  before  my  re 
turn  to  Canada.  But  this  must  now  be  abandon 
ed.  I  walked  about  Buffalo  quite  disheartened. 
At  last  I  saw  on  a  sign  "  Temperance  Hotel."  I 
concluded  to  put  up  at  this  house,  and  to  my  sur 
prise  and  joy,  the  landlord  was  a  warm  hearted 
Methodist  —  James  Madison.  At  night,  I  accom 
panied  him  to  the  prayer  meeting,  where  he  told  a 
Brother  Copeland  my  circumstances.  They  made 

*  Chicago  signifies  the  place  of  tkunkt. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  1 29 

up  the  whole  amount  of  my  loss,  and  gave  me  a 
dollar  over.  I  could  now  visit  the  East  as  I  had 
purposed  before  my  loss.  The  next  day  I  started 
for  Rochester,  where  I  spent  the  Sabbath.  I  was 
very  anxious  to  see  the  great  cities  of  which  I 
had  read  so  much  at  school.  I  resolved  to  go 
through  thick  and  thin  for  the  sake  of  seeing 
New-York.  At  Rochester  I  stopped  with  Brother 
Colby;  Miss  Colby  perceiving  that  I  was  not 
warmly  clad,  gave  me  a  cloak  which  she  obtain 
ed  from  Brother  S.  Richardson.  Should  either, 
or  both,  of  these  dear  friends  see  these  remarks 
concerning  their  kindness,  I  hope  they  will  ex 
cuse  me  for  thus  mentioning  their  names.  I  must 
thank  them  again  for  their  goodness ;  I  often  re 
member  them  in  my  closet  and  by  the  wayside. 
May  God  reward  them,  and  all  other  friends. 

On  Monday,  I  left  for  Albany.  "When  I  reach 
ed  Syracuse,  I  took  the  long-looked  for  rail  road. 
We  were  soon  on  our  way,  moving  along  like  a 
streak  of  lightning.  In  the  morning  I  arrived  in 
Albany  in  time  for  the  morning  boat  for  New- 
York.  I  walked  around  this  Dutch  city;  and 
as  every  thing  appeared  to  be  somewhat  new, 


130  THE    LIFE    OF 

I  was  interested,  especially  with  the  vessels, 
&c.  As  I  wished  to  be  economical,  I  left  with 
out  any  breakfast.  I  was  charmed  with  the 
steamboat.  We  passed  down  the  Hudson ;  the 
towns,  villages,  and  the  splendid  scenery  en 
chanted  me.  I  had  seen  but  very  few  such  mag 
nificent  scenes  before. 

About  noon,  a  plain  looking  man  approached 
me ;  I  discovered  at  once  that  he  was  of  that 
class  of  men  called  Quakers.  He  spoke  of  what 
they  were  doing  for  the  Indians  in  New- York. 
I  was  very  much  interested  with  his  conversa 
tion.  I  felt  glad  and  proud  to  have  the  honor 
and  pleasure  of  seeing,  and  conversing  with  one 
of  Penn's  descendants  —  the  friend  of  the  poor 
Indians.  While  conversing  with  him,  the  belj 
was  rung  for  dinner ;  he  wished  me  to  go  down 
and  eat ;  I  told  him  I  was  obliged  to  be  saving, 
as  I  had  but  little  money  and  was  not  accustom 
ed  to  traveling.  Upon  saying  this,  he  pulled  out 
a  dinner  ticket  from  his  pocket,  and  said,  "  Friend, 
thou  must  take  this  and  come  down  to  dinner." 
I  had  an  exalted  opinion  of  the  Quakers  before, 
but  this  kind  act  increased  my  feelings,  and  con- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  131 

firmed  all  that  I  had  ever  heard  of  their  gene 
rosity  to  my  poor  people.  "  God  bless  the  Qua 
kers,"  said  I,  silently,  as  I  descended  to  dinner. 
After  dinner  we  finished  our  conversation.  He 
said  he  was  on  his  way  to  Philadelphia.  God 
bless  him  wherever  he  is.  He  has  my  kindest 
wishes. 

In  the  evening  I  arrived  at  New- York,  and  went 
immediately  to  see  Brother  Mason,  who  directed 
me  to  go  to  Sister  Luckey's,  in  Broome  street, 
where  I  tarried  during  my  stay. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  came  that  great  jubilee 
of  Methodism.  In  the  morning  I  went  with  Dr. 
Bangs  to  meeting.  He  preached  the  centenary 
sermon,  which  was  afterwards  printed.  In  the 
evening  I  attended  the  Allen  street  Station.  Oh 
what  a  happy  meeting  this  was.  Here  I  saw  some 
of  the  greatest  among  them  weep  for  joy.  ' '  Amen, 
halleluiah,  glory  to  God,"  and  similar  ejacula 
tions,  rang  through,  and  filled  the  house.  In 
this  vast  assembly  was  a  solitary  Indian  —  George 
Copway !  Never  can  I  forget  that  evening  I 
Whatever  may  be  my  future  lot  in  this  life,  I 
will  always  thank  God  for  the  privilege  of  attend- 


132  THE    LIFE    OF 


. 


ing  these  services.     May  the  Lord  pour  out  hi 
Spirit  on  all  his  churches. 

The  next  day  I  visited  Newark,  N.  J.,  to  see  ; 
Brother  Abraham  Hedenburg,  with  whom  I  had  ij 
become  acquainted  in  Illinois,    at  the  house  of  j 
his  Brother  James.    Here  I  met  with  a  great  deal  Ij 
of  kindness.      Brother  Bartine,  of  the  Franklin  \ 
Station,  requested  me  to  preach  for  him  in  the 
morning ;    and  Brother  Ayers,    of  the  Northern 
Station,  invited  me  to  preach  for  him  in  the  even 
ing.     Brother  Ayers  gave  me  about  $8  •  00  worth 
of  books,  which  I  had  the  pleasure  of  perusing 
during  the  winter.      This  was  a  favor  —  a  dis 
tinguished  favor  indeed.     I  have  seen  that  dear  j 
Brother  but  once  since.     May  the  Lord  be  gra-  j 

cious  to  him. 

i 

My  visit  to  Brother  Hedenburg  was  delighful. 
I  met  many  friends  here,  to  whom  I  can  never  j 
be  thankful  enough.  May  God  visit  them  in 
great  mercy.  I  saw  them  again  last  summer, 
and  partook  of  their  kind  hospitalities.  I  feel 
more  and  more  indebted  to  them ;  especially  to 
Brother  Hedenburgh. 

My  next  journey  was  to  Boston.     Dr.  Bangs 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  1 33 

gave  me  a  letter  of  introduction  to  a  brother  in 
that  city.  I  remained  about  two  weeks,  looking 
at  the  Yankees  and  their  city.  Boston  is  much 
overrated ;  there  are  a  few,  very  few  pretty  spots ; 
the  rest  is  crooked  and  narrow.  It  is  far  behind 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  perhaps  Baltimore, 
and  New  Orleans.  I  met  with  a  few  choice  spi 
rits — Brothers  King,  Rand,  Wise,  and  Smith ;  and 
on  the  Sabbath,  I  addressed  the  Sabbath  School 
in  Russel  street.  In  the  evening  we  had  a  de 
lightful  meeting.  I  remained  with  Brother  H. 
Merrell's  family  during  my  sojourn,  and  I  shall 
always  recollect  them  with  feelings  of  sincere  gra 
titude.  I  visited  several  noted  places  while  in  that 
vicinage, — the  Monument  on  Bunker's  (or  rather 
Breed's)  Hill,  etc. ;  I  went  also  on  the  top  of  the 
State  House  when  the  sky  was  clear.  It  was  from 
this  point  that  I  saw  the  works  of  the  white  man. 
The  steeples,  vessels  arriving,  and  others  spread 
ing  their  sails  for  distant  lands.  The  wharves 
were  filled  with  merchandise.  A  few  steam 
boats  were  running  here  and  there,  breathing  out 
fire  and  smoke.  On  my  left,  I  noticed  several 

towns.      The  steam  cars  from  Worcester  rolled 

17 


134  THE   LIFE    OF 

on  from  the  west ;  others  were  starting  for  Provi 
dence,  and  whizzed  along  the  flats  like  a  troop 
of  runaway  horses.  Here  were  factories  in  diffe 
rent  directions.  As  I  saw  the  prosperity  of  the 
white  man,  I  said,  while  tears  filled  my  eyes, 
"  Happy  art  thou,  O  Israel,  who  is  like  unto  thee, 
O people,  saved  by  the  Lord!"  When  I  thought 
of  the  nohle  race  of  red  men  who  once  lived  and 
roamed  in  all  the  land,  and  upon  the  waters  as 
far  as  my  eye  could  reach,  the  following  thoughts 
arose  in  my  mind,  which  I  have  since  penned. 

Once  more  I  see  my  fathers'  land 

Upon  the  beach,  where  oceans  roar  ; 
Where  whiten'cl  bones  bestrew  the  sand, 

Of  some  brave  warrior  of  yore. 
The  groves,  where  once  my  fathers  roam'd — 

The  rivers,  where  the  beaver  dwelt — 
The  lakes,  where  angry  waters  foam'd — 

Their  charms,  with  my  fathers,  have  fled 

O  !  Tell  me,  ye  "pale  faces,"  tell, 

Where  have  my  proud  ancestors  gone  ? 
Whose  smoke  curled  up  from  every  dale. 

To  what  land  have  their  free  spirits  flown  ? 
Whose  wigwams  stood  where  cities  rise ; 

On  whose  war-paths  the  steam-horse  flies ; 
And  ships,  like  mon-e-doos  in  disguise, 

Approach  the  shore  in  endless  files. 

I  now  visited   the  Missionary  Rooms   of  the 
American  Board,  whose  invaluable  labors  are  felt 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  135 

throughout  the  globe.  I  saw  some  articles, 
wrought  by  our  people  in  the  west,  such  as  bead 
work,  porcupine  quills,  moccasons,  war  clubs,  etc. 
I  thought,  that  if  Brother  Greene  had  seen  as 
much  of  war  clubs  as  I  had  (for  I  have  seen  them 
stained  with  blood  and  notched  according  to  the 
number  of  individuals  they  had  slain),  he  would 
conceal  them  from  every  eye. 


136  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


ABOUT  the  4th  of  November,  I  took  my  leave  of 
Boston,  for  the  great  commercial  emporium,  on 
my  route  homewards.  My  traveling  companion 
was  the  Rev.  E.  Taylor,  the  sailor's  friend.  He 
was  on  his  way  to  Philadelphia  to  preach.  I 
should  suppose  that  a  hetter  sailor's  preacher 
cannot  be  found  in  the  Union.  I  was  much 
pleased  with  his  conversation.  In  one  of  his 
public  addresses,  I  was  told  that  he  said,  "  When 
I  die,  smother  me  not  under  the  dust ;  but  bury 
me  in  the  sea,  where  the  sea- weed  will  be  my 
winding  sheet,  the  coral  my  coffin,  and  the  sea 
shell  my  tomb  stone."  I  heard  an  individual 
say  of  him,  "  Start  him  where  you  will,  he  will 
go  to  sea." 

I  was  now,  once  more,  in  the  magnificent  city 
of  New- York.  I  bought  a  few  books  at  the  Book 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  137 

Looms.  After  surveying  the  beauties  and  curio- 
ities  of  the  city,  I  left  in  the  steamboat  Roches- 
er  for  Albany.  I  spent  one  day  in  Albany,  and 
ttended  a  Methodist  prayer  meeting.  The  Rev. 
Si.  Seymour,  the  preacher  in  charge  at  the  Divi- 
ion  street  Station,  introduced  me  to  Brother 
>age,  who  had  the  charge  of  the  South  Ferry 
treet  Church.  At  the  latter  church  I  was  pre- 
ent  at  a  delightful  and  soul-stirring  meeting. 

The  following  day  I  took  the  canal  for  Syracuse 
nd  Oswego.     On  my  way  from  Schenectady  to 
Jtica  I  preached  twice  on  board  the  boat ;  and 
ven  here  I  found  some  pious  souls.     I  observed 
(the  tears  falling  from  several  eyes.     "  The  Lord 
be   praised,"   was  the    language   of  my   heart. 
When  shall  this  poor  heart,  feel  fully  and  wholly 
alive,  to  the  unsurpassed  favors  of  Heaven  ? 

I  took  a  steamboat  at  Oswego,  and  arrived 
at  Kingston,  C.  W.,  on  the  evening  of  Nov.  11. 
Here  I  had  to  pay  duties  on  the  books  which  I 
had  obtained  in  New-York.  The  amount  to  be 
paid  was  $32-50,  and  I  had  but  $27.  I  went  to 
Charles  Oliver,  Deputy  Collector ;  and  as  soon  as 
I  laid  my  circumstances  before  him,  he  said,  "  pay 


138  THE   LIFE   OF 

the  $27,  and  I  will  advance  you  the  balance ;  and  i 
as  soon  as  you  reach  home,  write  to  Mr.  McCau- 
ley,  the  Inspector  General,  who  lives  in  Toronto,  ' 
and  inform  him  who  you  are  ;  he  will,  doubtless, 
authorize  me  to  refund  you  the  money."     I  did 
so,   and  shortly  afterwards   received  the  whole  j 
amount.     In  this  public  way,  I  would  express 
my  most  hearty  thanks  to  these  gentlemen  for  j 
their  acts  of  kindness  towards  an  Indian  stranger. 
I  arrived  at  Rice  Lake  on  the  12th  day  of  No 
vember,  1839,  having  been  absent  from  home  five  j 
years  and  four  months.     Never  did  I  feel  so  re 
joiced  as  when  I  stood  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  and   < 
saw  my  village,  seven  miles  across  the  lake.     I 
gazed  upon  it  with  pure  delight ;  and  as  I  took  a 
retrospective  view  of  all  the  scenes  which  I  had 
passed  through,  I  wondered  at  myself,  and  at  the 
great  goodness  of  God.    I  knelt  down,  and  "  bless 
ed  and  thanked  Him  who  liveth  for  ever,"  for  his 
unspeakable  goodness  to  a  child  of  sin.     While 
crossing  the  lake,  I  was  in  perfect  ecstacies ;  my 
heart   leaped  with  joy;    and  my  thoughts   and 
emotions  were  at  my  home  long  before  my  per 
son.     Oh  how  tedious  and  tardy  the  boat  seemed 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  139 

to  be ;  I  wished  for  wings  several  times.  But  at 
last,  I  planted  my  foot  upon  the  spot  on  which  I 
had  been  reared  from  my  infancy,  and  where 
some  of  the  sweetest  and  happiest  recollections 
of  my  life  were  centered.  But  "every  sweet  has 
its  bitter."  On  inquiring  for  some  of  my  rela 
tives,  I  was  informed  that  they  had  left  this,  for  a 
better  life.  Many  of  my  old  friends  and  ac 
quaintances  had  gone  to  try  the  realities  of  an 
other  world.  Numbers  were  bathed  in  tears,  and 
the  wounds  of  their  hearts  were  re-opened.  My 
own  heart  seemed  to  bleed  at  every  pore.  What 
a  painful  interview !  I  now  requested  to  be  shown 
the  graves  of  my  dear  relatives  and  friends.  I 
wended  my  way  to  these  consecrated  grounds, 
and  sighed  and  wept  over  them.  My  reflections 
were  solemn  indeed !  I  followed  many  of  them, 
in  my  thoughts,  to  heaven,  whither  they  doubt 
less  now  are,  celebrating  the  praises  of  God 
around  the  throne  of  the  blessed  Redeemer.  This 
was  great  consolation  amidst  my  griefs;  and  I 
now  felt  determined,  with  God's  assistance,  to 
follow  them,  so  far  as  they  followed  Christ,  and 
thus  be  prepared  to  unite  with  them  in  the  songs 


140  THE   LIFE    OF 

of  the  upper  world,  whenever  God  shall  see  fit 
to  call  me  hence. 

Brother  John  Sunday,  was  at  this  time,  station- j 
ed  in  our  village.      The  Lord  soon  visited  thisa 
Mission  with  a  glorious  revival ;  many  were  con-J 
verted,  and  others  reclaimed.     The  tracts  that  I 
had  received  at  the  Book  Rooms,  and  the  books 
from  the  American  Tract  Society  (N.  Y.),  I  distri 
buted   among  those  that  could  read,  and  they 
were  duly  appreciated.     I  believe  that  these  were 
the  means  which  prepared  their  minds  to  relin 
quish  the  world,  and  place  their  hope  in  God. 

I  will  now  speak  of  Christmas  and  New  Year. 
When  Christmas  arrived,  we  were  invited  to  a 
centenary  tea  party,  in  company  with  the  Rev. 
William  Case,  the  well  known  friend  of  the  In- , 
dians.  The  party  met  at  Alderville,  eight  miles- 
from  the  Mission.  This  was  a  season  of  much 
joy  and  happiness.  The  Chiefs  referred  to  the 
time  when  they  were  without  the  gospel.  One 
of  them  said,  "  Before  I  heard  the  gospel,  wher 
Christmas  came,  I  began  to  thank  the  Grea' 
Spirit  for  the  day  on  which  I  could  get  plenty 
of  whiskey.  Brothers,  you  know  how  often  II' 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  141 

was  dragged  through  the  snow  to  my  wigwam, 
where  my  wife  and  children  were  cold  and  hun 
gry.  Now,  I  drink  tea  instead  of  whiskey,  and 
have  religion  with  it;  now  my  house  is  comforta 
ble  ;  and  my  children  are  pious  and  happy.  I 
expect  to  pursue  a  Christian  course  till  I  arrive 
in  heaven.  My  fond  hope  is  to  meet  these  good 
missionaries  in  the  land  of  bliss ;  and  not  only 
these,  but  also  the  good  John  Wesley,  with  whom 
I  expect  to  shake  hands  there."  John  Sunday's 
brother  (Big  Jacob),  said,  "  "When  the  Methodists 
were  preaching  to  our  people,  I  heard  that  the 
chiefs  and  warriors  were  frequently  in  tears.  I 
then  said,  I  would  not  shed  tears  were  I  to  hear 
them.  Still,  I  wished  to  understand  for  myself. 
I  went,  with  a  full  determination  not  to  behave 
myself  like  a  woman,  I  mean  by  crying.  I  sat 
near  the  door.  The  preacher  was  speaking  about 
the  Saviour's  dying  on  the  cross,  while  the  In 
dians  all  around  were  sobbing.  I  began  to  feel 
serious,  and  then  the  tears  fell  involuntarily. 
Frequently,  I  wiped  my  eyes,  but  still  the  tears 
would  Jlow.  I  asked  myself,  am  /  crying  too? 

Brethren,  I  was  ashamed  to  exhibit  tears;  but 

18 


142  THE   LIFE   OF 

now  [here  he  raised  his  hand  to  heaven],  it  is  not 
through  cowardice  that  I  cry,  for  I  never  shed  a 
tear  on  the  battle  field,  nor  even  when  my  child 
ren  or  my  friends  lay  dead  before  me.  No !  I 
never  dropped  a  tear.  I  feel  to-night  very  happy 
and  thankful  to  know  that  the  Great  Spirit  did 
not,  while  I  was  in  darkness,  say,  '  I  will  never 
bless  this  Indian.'  I  feel  an  ardent  love  for  you 
all.  I  love  Jesus,  who  has  done  so  much  for  sin 
ful  me."  He  then  sat  down;  Brother  John  Sun 
day  now  arose,  and  interpreted  what  his  brother 
had  just  said ;  and  at  the  close  of  his  remarks,  he 
turned  to  the  whites,  who  had  come  here  from  Co- 
bourg,  and  several  other  places,  and  said,  "  Bro 
thers,  that  was  a  great  big  mercy,  for  that  great 
big  man" 

I  might  add  other  cases  here,  but  it  is  scarcely 
necessary.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  we  enjoyed  the 
services  throughout.  As  I  looked  around,  I  re 
cognised  some,  whom  I  knew,  and  had  often 
seen  before  the  gospel  reached  us,  and  who  had 
usually  spent  Christmas  in  the  gutter,  —  degrad 
ed,  miserable,  and  starving.  The  language  of 
the  Psalmist  might  well  have  been  quoted  by 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  143 

each  of  these  poor  brethren:  —  "  Thou  hast  raised 
me  up  out  of  the  filthiest  sink  (English  transla 
tion,  '  the  miry  clay '),  and  hast  planted  my  feet 
firmly  on  a  rock."  Yes,  the  rock  Christ  Jesus. 

New  Year's  day  was  observed  in  the  same  re 
ligious  manner.  And  I  cannot  but  remark  here, 
that  it  is  to  be  greatly  regretted  that  so  many 
Christians  in  the  States  spend  this  day  in  gadding 
about  from  house  to  house,  and  indulging  in  luxu 
ries  to  excess.  Nay,  more  ;  I  have  been  inform 
ed  that  not  a  few  professors  entertain  their  visi 
tors  with  fire-water,  or  devil's  spittle,  on  that  day. 
What  a  contradiction  this  would  be  in  the  esti 
mation  of  converted  Indians,  were  they  to  witness 
these  scenes. 

During  the  winter,  the  General  Council  of  the 
Nation,  was  held  at  the  Credit  River  Mission, 
Chief  Joseph  Sawyer  was  elected  President  of 
the  Council.  This  noble  chief  has  filled  the 
chair  several  times  since,  with  great  credit.  Se 
veral  petitions,  and  other  important  documents 
were  drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  different  chiefs, 
to  be  presented  to  the  Government  of  Canada. 
The  whole  Council  waited  on  the  Governor  Ge- 


144  THE   LIFE   OF 

neral,  Lord  Sydenham,  in  a  body ;  they  presented 
their  petitions  (see  Note  A,  at  the  end  of  this 
chapter).  In  reply,  we  received  but  little  satis 
faction;  he  closed  his  note,  by  saying,  "My 
children,  for  the  present,  I  bid  you  all  Farewell." 
His  Lordship  did  not  even  deign  to  affix  his 
name  to  the  note.  Since  then,  nothing  has  been 
heard  of  our  papers,  and  therefore  we  must  con 
clude  that  they  have  been  laid  under  the  table. 
But  what  could  be  expected  of  a  "father"  who 
could  smile  in  the  presence  of  his  "  children" 
and  yet  stab  them  in  the  dark  ?  See  Note  B,  at 
the  close  of  the  chapter,  where  the  reader  may 
find  an  extract  from  his  letter  to  Lord  John  Rus 
sell.  To  rebut  his  false  representations,  I  would 
appeal  to  the  Report  of  the  Commissioners  on  ', 
Indian  Affairs  in  Canada;  to  the  missionaries; 
and  to  the  whole  civilized  and  christianized  po 
pulation  of  the  Chippewa  nation.  I  can  there 
fore  say,  without  the  fear  of  respectable  contra 
diction,  that  his  assertions  have  no  foundation  in 
truth.  A  few  drunken  Indians,  it  is  true,  may 
be  found  in  Canada ;  and  these  alone,  would  be 
willing  to  call  him  Father.  \ 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  145 

It  was  at  this  General  Council  that  I  became 
icquainted  with  Captain  Ho  well's  family,  of  To 
ronto,  formerly  of  England,  and  after  an  intimate 
acquaintance  of  some  six  months,  I  was  united 
in  marriage  to  his  daughter  Elizabeth.  My  wife 
has  been  a  help,  meet  indeed ;  she  has  shared  my 
woes,  my  trials,  my  privations ;  and  has  faith 
fully  labored  to  instruct  and  assist  the  poor  In- 
|dians,  whenever  an  opportunity  occurred.  I  of- 
^en  feel  astonished  when  I  reflect  upon  what  she 
^ias  endured,  considering  that  she  does  not  pos 
sess  much  physical  strength.  I  can  truly  say 
that  she  has  willingly  partaken  of  the  same  cup 
that  I  have,  although  that  cup  has  often  contain 
ed  gall.  I  trust,  that  I  have  not  transgressed  the 
bounds  of  delicacy,  in  speaking  of  one  who  has 
sacrificed  so  much  in  becoming  the  partner  of  an 
Indian  missionary.  I  will  simply  add,  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ho  well,  and  their  daughters  Caroline 
and  Elizabeth,  were  then,  and  are  now,  members 
of  the  Methodist  Church. 

In  the  spring  which  preceded  my  marriage,  I 
was  appointed  by  my  people  at  Rice  Lake,  to? 
transact  some  business  for  them  at  Toronto,  I 


146  THE    LIFE    OF 

accordingly  left  Rice  Lake  and  reached  Toronto 
in  April.  Just  before  leaving  for  Rice  Lake,  I 
called  to  see  my  cousin,  Thomas  Kezhig,  who 
was  confined  to  his  house  by  consumption. 
While  on  my  journey  homewards,  between  To 
ronto  and  Port  Hope,  as  I  was  sleeping  on  one  of 
the  sofas  of  the  steamboat,  I  had  the  following 
singular  dream  in  relation  to  my  cousin  above!; 
mentioned : — 

I  found  myself  in  a  path  on  a  wide  plain, 
which  led  towards  the  south,  between  two  cotta-  j  j 
ges.     I  was  impressed  with  a  belief  that  it  was 
my  duty  to  proceed  to  the  end  of  the  road,  which, 
from  appearances,  great  multitudes  had  walked 
over.      On  nearing  the  cottages,  I  discovered  a 
small  gate,  attended  by  a  keeper.    At  first,  he  re 
fused  me  an  entrance,  but  after  much  persuasion, 
he  permitted  me  to  pass,  extorting  from  me  a 
promise,  to  return  as  soon  as  I  should  reach  a 
certain  spot,  from  which  I  could  see  the  end  of 
the  path.     I  passed  through  the  gate  and  travel 
ed  over  a  beautiful  rolling  country,  with  groves, 
flowers,  and  fruits,  on  my  right  and  on  my  left, 
which  delighted  my  eyes ;  while  the  singing  of 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  147 

birds  delighted  my  ears.  I  walked  through  seve 
ral  streams  which  ran  smoothly  over  beds  of 
beautiful  pebhles.  From  one  of  these  streams  I 
drank,  and  felt  much  refreshed.  In  some  places, 
I  saw  the  impress  of  men's  feet  on  the  pebbles, 
which  proved  that  persons  had  gone  before  me. 
Some  time  after  this,  I  heard  several  voices  con 
versing  about  the  country  to  which  they  were 
traveling.  I  ascended  a  hill,  from  which  I  be 
held  a  scene  which  no  language  can  describe. 
In  front  was  a  large  granite  rock,  in  the  form  of 
a  pyramid ;  it  was  exceedingly  high ;  had  seats 
on  each  side  from  the  bottom  to  the  top;  and  on 
ithese,  sat  a  great  multitude  who  had  died  in  the 
Lord.  Here  and  there  was  a  vacant  seat.  Some, 
however,  were  standing,  and  all  had  a  pair  of 
wings.  Those  that  were  sitting,  had  wings,  and 
seemed  ready  to  fly  !  On  the  very  summit,  and 
above  the  rest,  there  was  a  spacious  seat,  or  mag 
nificent  throne.  One  sat  on  this  throne  who 
shone  like  the  sun !  Over  his  crowned  head  was 
a  circle,  resembling  a  rainbow,  on  which  was 
written,  with  letters  of  gold,  "  THIS  is  THE  KING 
JESUS."  What  a  splendid  sight !  it  dazzled  my 


148  THE    LIFE    OF 

eyes.  Above  his  head  were  clouds  of  angels; 
these  were  performing  beautiful  gyrations.  Some 
times  they  descended  so  low,  that  I  could  plainly 
see  the  upper  side  of  their  wings,  which  reflected 
a  brilliant  light  from  the  throne.  I  did  not  hear 
them  speak,  but  there  was  a  noise  like  a  mighty 
rushing  wind,  occasioned  by  their  wings  which 
were  constantly  in  motion.  There  were  myriads 
upon  myriads  of  these  winged  angels ;  the  very 
heavens  were  covered  with  them.  I  observed 
between  me  and  this  great  rock,  a  river,  part  of 
which  was  as  black  as  jet,  and  the  rest  as  yellow 
as  gold.  It  flowed  gracefully  along  the  edge  of 
the  beautiful  green,  near  the  rock.  I  saw  two 
men  plunge  into  its  bosom,  and  swim.  As  soon  as 
they  reached  the  spot  where  the  water  was  black, 
their  clothes  fell  off  of  them,  and  were  carried 
away  by  the  current;  while  they  themselves  reach 
ed  the  shore  on  the  opposite  side.  They  now 
assumed  forms  too  glorious  for  tongue  or  pen  to 
describe  ;  even  imagination  must  fail  here.  They 
now  seemed  to  rise  up  out  of  the  river ;  and  as 
they  stood  upon  its  bed,  with  their  long  white 
wings  majestically  expanded  and  dripping,  they 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  149 

clapped  their  hands  and  exclaimed,  "Glory  to 
God  in  the  highest ;  glory  and  honor  to  Jesus." 
They  now  stepped  out  of  the  stream,  walked 
side  by  side,  and  ascended  to  the  seats  midway 
up  the  rock !  "While  they  were  ascending,  the 
entire  multitude  cheered  and  welcomed  them. 
"  Glory  to  God,"  "  Halleluiah,"  with  many  other 
exclamations,  were  echoed  in  loud  peals  through 
out  the  whole  region.  My  eyes  wept  big  burn 
ing  tears,  which  overflowed  my  face.  I  tried  to 
join  the  happy  throng  in  ejaculating  halleluiah  ; 
and  made  several  fruitless  attempts  to  cross  the 
river.  I  felt  as  if  I  were  fettered,  and  fastened 
to  a  stake.  Presently,  I  heard  the  sound  of  foot 
steps  behind  me ;  I  turned  around  suddenly,  and 
beheld  my  cousin  Thomas  Kezhig,  passing  along. 
I  addressed  him,  and  said,  "  Where  are  you  go 
ing,  cousin  ? "  He  replied,  "  I  am  going  where  my 
•mother  and  sister  have  gone ;  but  you  must  return 
home  soon,  for  you  are  needed  there ;  you  will 
one  day  follow  us  to  the  skies."  I  exerted  myself 
to  approach  him,  but  in  vain.  He  turned  about, 
ran  down  the  hill  to  the  water,  plunged  in,  and 

swam  like  a  duck.     His  clothes  now  fell  off  of 

19 


150  THE    LIFE    OF 

him,  as  did  those  of  the  two  individuals  referred 
to  above.  I  saw  him  rise ;  he  exclaimed,  "  Glory 
to  Jesus  ! "  Some  one  exclaimed  from  the  rock, 
"  Thomas  Kezhig  is  come,  Thomas  Kezhig  is 
come."  Immediately,  two  flew  from  their  seats, 
and  presented  themselves  before  him,  near  the 
edge  of  the  water.  They  embraced  each  other, 
and  clapped  their  wings,  as  if  filled  with  joy.  O 
what  a  happy,  happy  scene !  The  immense 
throng  of  angelic  beings  witnessed  this  sight,  and 
lowered  their  flight.  Those  on  the  rock,  now 
stood  up  at  his  approach,  and  flapped  their 
wings.  The  two  who  had  flown  to  him,  led  him 
by  the  hand  to  a  seat.  Every  eye  was  now  upon 
him;  and  the  whole  heavens  seemed  to  echo, 
"  Welcome  to  thy  rest,  thou  child  of  affliction  "  I  re 
cognized  in  these  two,  his  mother  and  sister, 
who  had  died  a  few  years  before,  with  a  hope 
full  of  glory.  I  could  have  given  worlds  for  per 
mission  to  cross  the  river.  I  wept  sorely,  and  felt 
it  incumbent  to  return,  according  to  my  promise, 
to  the  keeper  of  the  gate.  The  keeper  inquired, 
"  well,  did  you  see  them  ?"  But  my  heart  was 
too  full  to  give  utterance  to  my  thoughts.  I  now 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  151 

awoke,  much  agitated,  and  still  weeping.  I 
looked  at  my  watch,  and  discovered  that  it  was 
a  quarter  past  one  o'clock,  P.  M. 

In  the  evening  I  met  one  of  my  step-brothers 
at  Port  Hope;  he  had  just  arrived.  The  first 
words  that  he  uttered,  were,  "  Our  cousin  is  no 
more."  I  inquired,  "When  did  he  die?"  He 
replied,  "  To-day,  about  one  o'clock."  "  Then," 
said  I,  "  he  is  happy  in  the  realms  of  bliss."  The 
next  day,  as  I  stooped  over  his  cold  remains,  I 
could  still  see  his  glorified  spirit  as  in  my  dream, 
welcomed  to  the  land  of  angels.  O  !  "  Let  me, 
die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last 
end  be  like  his."  I  loved  him  tenderly,  and  had 
good  reason  to  believe  that  he  also  loved  me. 
My  readers  will,  I  trust,  excuse  me  for  having 
inflicted  upon  them  this  dream.  It  is  even  now 
so  vivid  in  my  recollection,  and  being  somewhat 
curious  and  peculiar,  that  I  have  ventured  to  give 
it.  It  is  but  a  dream,  and  I  wish  it  to  go  just 
for  what  it  is  worth,  and  no  more. 

I  left  Toronto  for  the  west,  on  the  third  of  June, 
and  arrived  at  Buffalo  the  same  evening,  just  in 
time  to  fulfil  an  engagement.  I  was  to  address 


152  THE   LIFE   OF 

the  Sunday  school  Missionary  Society  at  the  Me 
thodist  Episcopal  Church.  I  was  obliged  to  leave 
Mrs.  Copway  at  Toronto,  as  she  was  not  quite 
prepared  to  depart;  but  the  following  day  she 
met  me  in  Buffalo.  Here  the  brethren  prevailed 
on  us  to  stay  over  the  Sabbath.  Sabbath  morn 
ing  I  preached  at  Black  Rock,  and  in  Buffalo  in 
the  evening.  What  a  curious,  inquisitive,  and 
teasing  people,  some  of  the  Yankees  are  !  Yet, 
they  are  very  friendly  withal,  for  every  one  seemed 
to  be  striving  to  induce  us  to  go  to  their  homes  to 
take  tea  and  to  pass  the  night.  I  had  been  mar 
ried  but  a  few  days,  and  the  following  were  some 
of  the  questions  put  to  me  : —  "  How  did  you  ob 
tain  your  wife  ? "  "Where  were  you  married  ? " 
"Did  her  father  consent?"  "How  many  of 
your  people  have  married  our  white  women  ? " 
These,  and  similar  inquiries  were  constantly 
made,  and  were  exceedingly  annoying.  But 
notwithstanding  all  this,  I  could  say  "  farewell 
dear  friends  of  Buffalo ;  thank  you  for  your  kind 
ness,  your  good  wishes,  and  your  prayers.  Fare 
well  Sister  Dobson,  Brother  M.,  and  Brother  Van- 
derpool" — a  noble  hearted  and  whole-souled  man. 


K  AH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH .  153 

On  the  7th  of  June,  we  parted  with  my  wife's 
sister,   Caroline,  who  had  come  with  my  wife 
from  Toronto  as  far  as  Buffalo.     We  were  soon 
;  sailing  on  Lake  Erie.     On  the  eighth  we  were  in 
1  Cleveland.     Here  we  were  obliged  to  stop,  as  the 
regular  boat  for  Detroit  was  engaged  to  convey 
i  persons  to  the  great  Whig  Convention  at  Fort 
iMeigs.     But  we  passed  a  very  agreeable  time, 
i  however,   especially  with   Mr.   and   Mrs.   Peet. 
On  the  twelfth  an  opportunity  offered  by  which 
we  could  go  as  far  as  Amherstburg,  on  our  way 
to  Detroit.      The  steamboat  Milwaukie  stopped 
at  Cleveland  on  her  route  upwards,  and  on  board 
of  her  we  went.     Soon  we  fell  in  with  Rev.  John 
Clark,  who  was  on  his  way  from  the  General 
Conference  to  Chicago,  in  company  with  Rev. 
Mr.  Colclazier,  of  Detroit.     It  was  my  design  to 
preach  on  board,  but  was  prevented  on  account 
of  the  rolling  of  the  boat,  which  caused  much 
sea- sickness,  and  our  early  arrival  at  Amherst 
burg.    Here  we  staid  one  week,  and  passed  many 
happy  hours,  especially  with  Sister  Scott.     From 
Amherstburg  we  went  to  Detroit.     On  the  eigh 
teenth  we  started  from  Detroit  for  Mackinaw,  on 


154  THE   LIFE   OF 

board  the  steamboat  Robert  Fulton,  which  place 
we  reached  on  the  twentieth ;  here  we  remained 
a  few  days  with  B.  Chapman,  Esq.  Here  I  heard 
of  the  death  of  one  of  our  traders,  Lavaque, 
a  pious  man,  and  a  particular  friend.  I  preach-  i 
ed  his  funeral  sermon,  and  then  his  remains 
were  consigned  to  the  grave.  Many  wept  on 
this  occasion,  for  he  was  much  beloved.  Mrs. 
Copway  was  now  suffering  from  chills  and  fever, 
which  she  first  contracted  at  Toronto.  On  the 
twenty- third  we  took  passage  on  board  the  steam 
boat  Fairport,  and  arrived  at  Green  Bay  early 
the  next  morning.  Mrs.  Copway' s  indisposition 
induced  me  to  remain  here  until  she  should  feel 
better.  Brother  Cheno worth,  the  stationed  preach 
er,  was  absent,  and  it  devolved  on  me  to  fill  his  | 
pulpit  on  the  Sabbath.  We  had  a  most  interest 
ing  season  in  waiting  on  the  Lord.  Mrs.  Cop- 
way's  fevers  continued  three  weeks,  and  when  it 
was  thought  that  she  had  recovered,  we  took 
land  carriage  to  Prairie  Du  Chien.  But  before 
we  had  gone  many  miles,  she  was  again  seiz 
ed  with  chills  and  fever,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  tarry  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  McCarty.  His 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  155 

family  were  kind,  and  would  not  receive  any 
compensation  for  their  trouble.  I  now  propos- 
[ed  to  Mrs.  C.  to  return  to  Green  Bay,  but  she 
jwould  not  consent,  saying,  that  as  we  had  start 
ed,  it  were  better  to  keep  on.  Every  other  day 
she  had  the  fever.  O  how  it  distressed  me  to 
(witness  her  affliction.  We  passed  through  the 
[villages  of  the  Stockbridge  and  Brother-Town 
Indians.  Their  lands  are  good,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  they  will  continue  to  conduct  them- 
iselves  well. 

On  the  17th  of  July  we  arrived  at  Winnebago 
Lake,  where  we  took  dinner  with  Brother  White. 
(After  leaving  this  place,  we  had  to  kindle  up  a 
fire  in  the  groves  several  times,  in  order  to  cook 
something  for  breakfast,  and  for  the  rest  of  the 
day ;  there  being  no  settlers  within  twenty  miles. 
Some  men  seem  to  have  come  to  these  "digg 
ings  "  only  for  the  purpose  of  defrauding  travelers 
out  of  their  goods  and  money.  For  every  slim 
and  dirty  meal,  we  had  to  pay  fifty  cents.  There 
is  a  house  between  Fort  Winnebago  and  Prairie 
Bu  Chien  which  I  can  never  forget.  We  had  to 
pay  fifty  cents  for  each  meal  ( ? ) ;  twenty-five 


156  THE   LIFE    OF 

cents  for  lodging  in  beds  swarming  with  fleas 
and  bugs.  Sleep  was  out  of  the  question ;  so  I 
spent  the  hours  of  the  night  on  the  seat  of  what 
was  called  a  chair.  August  23d,  we  arrived  at 
Prairie  Du  Chien,  after  much  fatigue,  having  tra 
veled  ten  days.  Brother  Kavanaugh  had  just 
arrived  from  St.  Peters,  and  had  us  conveyed  to 
Dubuque,  in  a  canoe.  Here,  Mrs.  Copway  re 
mained,  till  I  returned  from  the  Conference, 
which  was  held  at  Mount  Morris.  From  Dubu 
que  we  went  to  Prairie  Du  Chien,  in  a  steam 
boat  ;  on  the  twenty-sixth  we  were  compelled  to 
go  in  our  canoe  to  St.  Peters,  on  account  of  the 
shallowness  of  the  river.  Our  company  consist 
ed  of  Brothers  Spates,  Huddleston,  Brown,  Jones, 
Mrs.  Copway,  her  sister,  and  myself.  "We  en 
camped,  occasionally,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis 
sissippi.  We  were  more  than  two  weeks  travel 
ing  three  hundred  miles,  to  St.  Peters.  We  had 
a  tent,  which  we  pitched  every  night.  On  the 
26th  September,  we  had  to  mount  the  bluffs  oi 
the  Mississippi  River ;  here  we  found  a  number 
of  Indian  deities,  made  of  stone.  Mrs.  Copway 
and  her  sister  tumbled  them  all  down  into  the 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  157 

river.  Their  worshippers  must  have  been  astound 
ed  and  mortified  when  they  returned,  and  dis 
covered  that  their  gods  had  vanished.  On  seve 
ral  occasions  we  were  dripping  wet.  On  the  9th 
of  October  we  arrived  at  St.  Peters ;  we  here  had 
the  happiness  and  privilege  of  associating  with 
the  Presbyterian  Missionaries  three  weeks ;  they 
were  affectionate  and  truly  kind  to  us.  These, 
were  Brothers  Garvin,  Pond,  Denton,  and  their 
wives.  We  had  yet  to  journey  nearly  three  hun 
dred  miles.  After  some  delay  in  getting  ready, 
we  started  in  our  canoe.  On  the  27th  of  Octo 
ber  we  went  about  fifteen  miles  up  the  river; 
on  the  twenty-eighth  we  could  proceed  no  farther 
on  account  of  the  ice.  Now  what  was  to  be  done  ? 
If  the  winter  set  in,  while  we  are  on  our  journey, 
we  shall  have  to  suffer  much.  We  therefore  con 
cluded  to  go  by  land  to  Elk  River  Mission.  On 
the  twenty-ninth  we  hired  a  Frenchman  to  con 
vey  our  things  in  his  cart.  It  being  late  when  we 
started,  we  walked  but  five  miles  the  first  day ;  we 
!really  dreaded  the  journey.  On  the  thirtieth  while 
we  were  crossing  Rice  River,  the  cart  was  upset : 

our  provisions  and  clothes  were  filled  with  water 

20 


158  THE   LIFE   OF 

and  many  of  our  things  were  floating  down  the 
river.  I  made  a  fire,  and  we  passed  the  rest  of  the 
day  in  drying  our  articles ;  fortunately,  not  one  of 
us  was  in  the  cart.  Mrs.  Copway  exhibited  much 
patience  and  fortitude ;  she  reproved  us  for  mur 
muring,  on  account  of  this  and  other  mishaps ; 
and  laughed,  while  our  pies  and  cakes  were  sail 
ing  down  the  river.  On  the  thirty-first  we  walk 
ed  the  whole  day,  and  reached  Rum  River,  — 
called  so,  because  a  barrel  of  rum  had  been  con 
cealed  there.  It  would  be  too  tedious  to  narrate 
all  the  circumstances  connected  with  the  rest  of 
our  journey. 

On  the  6th  of  November  we  arrived  at  the 
Mission,  having  traveled,  in  all,  about  two  thou 
sand  and  eighty  miles.  The  Indians  had  fled 
from  this  Mission,  on  account  of  their  enemies, 
the  Sioux,  whom  they  dreaded.  Here,  then,  we 
had  no  employment ;  no  one  to  instruct !  We  now 
endured  much  suffering.  I  was  taken  sick  with 
the  dysentery,  and  remained  so  four  months,  al 
though,  occasionally,  I  could  move  about.  Bro 
ther  Huddleston,  also,  became  sick;  he  was  taken 
on  the  25th  of  December,  and  died  on  the  thir- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  159 

tieth,  of  dysentery.  This  was  truly  a  time  of 
trial.  We  buried  him  near  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  on  New  Year's  day.  He  had  come 
here  to  do  good ;  but  O  how  inscrutable  are  the 
ways  of  God !  The  Chief  of  the  Ojebwas  had 
now  arrived ;  and  addressed  us  in  the  following 
language : — 

"  Brothers,  I  am  sorry  to  see  you  all  in  such 
afflicting  circumstances.  I  see  that  you  loved 
him ;  and  from  what  little  I  saw  and  knew  of 
him,  I  believe  he  was  a  good  man.  He  came 
here  to  do  us  good,  — to  teach  our  children.  You 
ask  me  where  you  shall  bury  your  Brother.  I 
will  tell  you.  Bury  him  on  that  little  hill  [point 
ing  to  it],  so  that  we  may  see  his  grave  as  we 
pass  up  and  down  the  river.  I  will  tell  my  peo 
ple  to  keep  the  grave  in  good  order,  and  to  re 
spect  it.  No  grass  shall  be  allowed  to  grow  too 
near  it;  we  will  see  that  it  is  weeded.  Next 
summer,  /  will  build  a  heap  of  stones  about  it, 
that  all  may  see  and  know  where  the  good  man 
lies  —  he,  who  came  to  bless  us.  Tell  his  father, 
that  the  Sioux,  our  enemies,  will  not  molest  his 


remains." 


L60  THE   LIFE   OF 

This  chief  was  not  a  pious  man.  Three  of  his 
warriors,  now  went  to  the  hill,  cleared  away  the 
snow,  and  dug  the  grave  according  to  our  direc 
tions.  We  committed  his  lifeless  hody  to  the 
cold  grave  in  a  strange  land  !  I  never  knew  how 
much  I  loved  him,  until  he  was  gone.  Filled 
with  tears,  sohs,  and  sighs,  Brother  Spates  per 
formed  the  last  sad  office,  over  the  remains  of 
our  dearly  beloved  brother,  while  the  rude  blast 
was  blowing  the  snow  in  every  direction.  Just 
before  he  died,  he  admonished  and  entreated  us 
to  meet  him  in  heaven,  where,  he  assured  us,  he 
was  going.  "  Blessed  are  the  dead,  that  die  in 
the  Lord." 

The  chief  now  invited  us  to  go  and  reside  with 
Mm  at  Rabbit  River ;  and  in  February,  we  did 
so,  after  having  traveled  three  days.  During  these 
three  days,  however,  we  had  often  to  shovel  away 
the  snow,  build  a  fire,  and  spread  the  bedding 
without  any  tent  over  it.  We  awoke  one  morn 
ing,  and  found  the  snow  two  inches  deep  on  the 
bed  clothes.  We  built  a  large  fire,  by  which  we 
warmed  ourselves  and  boiled  some  coffee.  Our 
bread  was  frozen;  but  we  thawed  it,  and  made 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  1  6 1 

a  meal.  When  this  was  over,  off  we  started.  By 
the  way,  I  ought  to  have  mentioned  that  I  had  a 
poney  for  Mrs.  Copway  and  her  sister,  on  which 
they  could  ride.  Through  the  winter  he  lived  on 
rushes,  and  browsed  like  a  deer.  The  poor  fel 
low  had  to  give  out,  ahout  two  miles  before  we 
reached  Rabbit  River;  Mrs.  Copway,  therefore, 
had  to  walk  this  distance  on  the  ice,  which  great 
ly  fatigued  her.  On  Saturday  night  quite  late, 
we  arrived  at  the  shanty  of  Chief  Hole-in- the- 
sky.  In  all  our  journeyings  Mrs.  C.  was  always 
ready  and  willing  to  endure  every  hardship.  She 
never  murmured  nor  appeared  discontented. 
This,  often  encouraged  me,  and  afforded  us  much 
relief.  I  record  with  gratitude,  that  God  enabled 
her  and  her  sister  to  bear  up  under  the  severest 
trials  and  hardships.  We  could  have  no  earthly 
gain  in  view ;  the  grace  of  God  alone,  therefore, 
supported  us  by  day  and  by  night,  in  sickness,  in 
perils,  in  storms,  in  fatigues,  in  despondency,  and 
in  solitary  places.  At  Rabbit  River  we  labored 
with  considerable  success ;  but  on  account  of  the 
war  raging  between  the  Sioux  and  the  Ojebwas, 


162  THE   LIFE    OF 

these  two  Missions,  with  that  at  Ottawa  Lake, 
had  to  be  abandoned. 


NOTE  A. 

"  1st.  The  soil  at  the  Credit  is  generally  very  poor,  and, 
consequently,  the  crops  are  light,  and  this,  in  a  great  measure, 
discourages  our  people  from  becoming  good  farmers.  The 
situation  of  the  Credit  Reserve  is  better  calculated  for  commer 
cial  than  agricultural  purposes. 

"  2nd.  We  have  learned,  by  experience,  that  living  together 
in  a  village,  whilst  endeavoring  to  follow  farming,  is  attended 
with  many  disadvantages,  and  loss  of  time ;  it  is  therefore  de 
sirable,  that  all  the  Indians  who  wish  to  become  planters, 
should  be  settled  on  their  own  lots. 

"  3rd.  The  evil  example  of  many  of  the  white  people  around 
our  village,  exposes  our  people  to  the  temptation  of  drinking 
fire-water,  and  of  committing  other  vices. 

"  4th.  We  are  of  opinion,  that,  if  we  go  and  settle  on  a 
good  tract  of  land,  many  of  our  young  men,  who  are  now 
spending  their  time  in  idleness,  would  be  induced  to  become 
industrious,  and  attend  to  their  farming." 


NOTE  B. 

"  GOVERNMENT  HOUSE.      ) 
"  Kingston,  22nd  July,  1841.  } 

"  MY  LORD, 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  de 
spatch  of  the  1st  instant,  No.  393,  on  the  subject  of  the  Indian 
Department  in  Canada.  I  beg  to  assure  your  Lordship  that  I 
have  given  the  subject  my  attentive  consideration,  and  I  hope 
to  be  able  to  submit  for  your  approval,  a  scheme  for  the  conso- 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  163 

lidation  of  the  Department.  At  the  same  time  the  matter  is 
attended  with  great  difficulty,  arising  from  the  peculiarity  of 
the  duties  which  the  officers  of  the  Department  have  to  per 
form,  the  extent  of  country  comprised  within  their  jurisdiction, 
and,  above  all,  from  the  system  pursued  with  regard  to  the  In 
dians,  which,  in  my  opinion,  is  of  the  most  mistaken  character. 
All  my  observation  has  completely  satisfied  me,  that  the  direct 
interference  of  the  Government  is  only  advantageous  to  the 
Indians  who  can  still  follow  their  accustomed  pursuits,  and 
that  if  they  became  settlers,  they  should  be  compelled  to  fall 
into  the  ranks  of  the  rest  of  Her  Majesty's  subjects,  exercising 
the  same  Independent  control  over  their  own  property  and  their 
own  actions,  and  subject  to  the  same  general  law  as  other 
citizens. 

"  The  attempt  to  combine  a  system  of  pupilage  with  the 
settlement  of  these  people  in  civilized  parts  of  the  country, 
leads  only  to  embarrassment  to  the  Government,  expense  to  the 
Crown,  a  waste  of  the  resources  of  the  Province,  and  an  injury 
to  the  Indians  themselves.  Thus  circumstanced,  the  Indian 
loses  all  the  good  qualities  of  his  wild  state,  and  acquires  no 
thing  but  the  vices  of  civilization.  He  does  not  become  a  good 
settler,  he  does  not  become  an  agriculturist  or  a  mechanic. 
He  does  become  a  drunkard  and  a  debauchee,  and  his  females 
and  family  follow  the  same  course.  He  occupies  valuable 
land,  unprofitably  to  himself  and  injuriously  to  the  country. 
He  gives  infinite  trouble  to  the  Government,  and  adds  nothing 
either  to  the  wealth,  the  industry,  or  the  defence  of  the  Pro 
vince. 

"  I  have,  &c. 

(Signed.)  "  SYDENHAM," 

"  The  Right  Honorable 

"  Lord  J.  RUSSELL." 


164  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


IN  the  spring,  we  were  out  of  provisions,  and 
had  to  fish  for  a  living  for  about  three  weeks. 
Brother  Spates  taught  school,  and  cousin  John 
son  and  myself  visited  the  wigwams  daily,  for 
the  purpose  of  singing  and  praying,  and  reading 
the  word  of  God.  They  always  received  us  kind 
ly;  and  soon  their  minds  and  hearts  began  to 
feel  serious,  and  they  inclined  strongly  towards 
Christianity.  It  was  not  long  after  that  many  of 
them  professed  to  have  made  their  peace  with 
God,  and  expressed  their  determination  to  obey 
the  precepts  of  Jesus.  Here  we  must  acknow 
ledge  that  God  "  made  us  glad  according  to  the 
days  wherein  he  has  afflicted  us."  We  had 
"not  labored  in  vain,  nor  spent  our  strength  for 
nought,"  although  we  had  to  confess  that  we  were 
unprofitable  servants.  While  conversing  with  a 
chief  upon  the  importance  of  true  religion,  he 


K  AH-GE-G  A-GAH-BOWH.  1 65 

became  much  troubled,  and  admitted  that  his 
own  religion  was  not  as  good  as  the  religion  of 
the  Bible;  but,  said  he,  "I  will  embrace  your 
religion  when  I  shall  have  returned  from  one 
more  battle  with  the  Sioux ;  and  I  will  then  ad 
vise  my  people  to  embrace  it  too."  What  a 
struggle  this  poor  fellow  had  within !  His  name 
was  Bah-goo-na-ge-shig  (Hole  in  the  sky).  He  had 
always  been  kind  to  me  and  mine ;  in  the  spring 
he  presented  tome  about  eighty  pounds  of  sugar; 
observing  at  the  same  time,  "I  have  brought  this 
from  the  Sugar  Bush  to-day;  you  will  require 
some  for  your  family ;  and  I  cheerfully  give  it." 

Brother  Brace  and  his  family  now  arrived  from 
Prairie  Du  Chien.  What  tales  of  sufferings  did 
they  communicate  !  They  had  traveled  six  hun 
dred  miles  in  the  midst  of  winter ;  and  were  ex 
posed  to  all  winds  and  weathers!  But  thank 
God  now  they  were  with  us.  Their  clothes  were 
almost  in  strings,  and  their  children  were  in  rags ! 
Expecting  to  find  enough  to  live  on  as  soon  as 
they  arrived,  they  brought  nothing  with  them. 
Thank  heaven  we  were  just  enabled  to  keep  them 

and  ourselves  from  starving. 

21 


166  THE   LIFE    OF 

The  Indians  desired  us  to  visit  several  other 
places,  and  establish  ourselves  there.  The  whole 
country  seemed  ripe  for  the  Gospel.  It  was 
thought  best  that  Brother  Spates  and  myself 
should  go  down  to  St.  Peters,  by  water,  and  ob 
tain  provision.  We  were  four  days  going,  and 
on  our  arrival,  a  war  party  was  just  on  the  eve 
of  departing  for  our  Mission,  where  they  intended 
to  murder  all  the  Ojebwas  they  could  find.  I 
requested  Brother  Spates  to  accompany  me  back 
by  land,  to  inform  the  Indians  of  the  intention 
of  the  Sioux.  He  said  "  there  would  be  too  much 
risk  in  going  before  the  War  Party."  But  my  wife 
and  sister  were  there;  they,  as  well  as  my  poor 
people,  might  be  barbarously  murdered.  After 
repeated  efforts  to  get  some  one  to  accompany 
me,  but  without  success,  I  was  determined  to  go 
alone.  I  trusted  in  the  God  of  battles,  and  with 
his  aid,  I  was  confident  that  I  could  prevent  these 
merciless  and  blood-thirsty  warriors  from  imbru 
ing  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  my  nation.  I  was 
ready  for  a  start ;  and  went  to  Chief  Little-Crow's 
village,  to  tell  him  that  I  was  going  to  the 
Rabbit  River  Mission.  Not  thinking  that  I  was 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  167 

in  earnest,  or  had  courage  enough,  he  said,  "  Tell 
Hole-in-the-sky,  I  am  coming  to  get  his  scalp." 
This  took  place  three  hours  before  they  were 
ready  to  march.  In  the  midst  of  jeers  and  war 
whoops,  I  left  their  Mission  house.  They  did  not 
believe  that  I  intended  to  go  farther  than  Fort 
Snelling.  As  soon  as  I  was  out  of  sight,  I  began 
to  run  as  fast  as  I  was  able.  I  called  at  the  Post 
Office,  which  was  nine  miles  from  the  Crow  Mis 
sion,  got  my  papers  and  letters,  and  ran  about 
seven  miles  over  the  Prairie,  without  stopping.  I 
bought  a  pony  on  the  road,  of  a  Frenchman,  and 
having  no  saddle,  I  rode  but  three  miles  of  the 
whole  distance.  I  tied  my  pack  on  his  back,  and 
made  him  run  all  the  afternoon.  In  the  night  I 
slept  without  a  fire.  I  was  so  anxious  to  get  home, 
that  I  had  no  appetite  for  eating,  the  first  two 
days.  I  went  at  the  rate  of  about  seventy-five 
miles  per  day,  and  arrived  home  at  noon,  on  the 
fourth  day ;  having  walked  two  hundred  and  forty 
miles,  forded  eight  large  streams,  and  crossed  the 
broad  Mississippi  twice.  My  coat  and  pantaloons 
were  in  strips.  I  crossed  the  Mississippi  just  in 
front  of  our  Mission  house,  and  as  soon  as  possi- 


168  THE    LIFE    OF 

ble,  I  told  the  chief  that  the  war  party  were  now 
on  their  way  to  our  Mission,  to  kill  them.  I  ad 
vised  him  to  lead  away  the  women  and  children, 
which  they  did,  and  the  next  day  they  all  left  us. 
We,  that  is,  my  family,  myself,  and  the  other  mis 
sionaries,  were  now  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  Si 
oux.  But  they  did  not  come,  although  they  sent 
spies.  Brother  Brace,  Cousin  Johnson,  and  I, 
now  ventured  to  take  our  families  down  to  St. 
Peters.  We  left  in  a  large  bark  canoe,  and  had 
only  one  loaf  of  bread,  two  quarts  of  beans,  and  two 
quarts  of  molasses.  Brother  Brace  was  so  sick, 
that  we  had  to  lift  him  in  and  out  of  the  canoe. 

We  saw  tracks  of  the  war  party,  on  our  way 
to  St.  Peters.  They  watched  us  on  the  river,  as 
we  heard  afterwards.  We  encamped  about  one 
mile  and  a  half  this  side  of  their  watching  place, 
during  the  night,  and  did  not  know  that  they 
knew  this  fact,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  sequel. 
They  came  and  held  a  council  just  across  the 
river  from  our  encampment ;  they  could  see  the 
light  of  our  fire.  The  war  chiefs  agreed  that  four 
of  the  warriors  should  swim  over  to  us  and  take 
us  all  prisoners.  One  was  to  take  the  canoe  to 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  169 

the  other  side  of  the  river,  to  bring  over  the  rest 
of  the  party.  They  were  to  kill  me,  and  my 
Cousin  Johnson.  But  the  chief  said  to  them, 
"  If  you  kill  these  men,  the  Great  Spirit  will  be 
angry,  and  he  will  send  his  white  children  to  kill 
us,  and  our  children." 

One  of  the  warriors  told  the  chief  that  he  was 
a  coward,  and  that  he  ought  to  have  remained  at 
home.  To  this,  the  chief  replied,  "I  am  no  cow 
ard  ;  and  we  will  see  who  are  cowards  when  we 
come  in  front  of  our  enemies."  Thus  they  dis 
puted,  and  even  quarrelled,  among  themselves, 
till  day-light.  The  same  morning,  we  left  with- 
'out  breakfast,  and  on  the  morning  following,  we 
were  beyond  their  reach. 

We  saw  where  they  had  raised  a  number  of 
logs,  so  that  they  might  lie  in  ambush.  I  ought 
to  mention,  that  we  were  perfectly  ignorant  of  all 
their  plans  and  actions,  until  we  arrived  at  St. 
Peters.  The  chief,  himself,  communicated  to  us 
what  has  been  stated  above,  in  the  presence  of 
his  warriors. 

This  country,  is,  indeed,  a  dangerous  place  for 
the  Ojebwa  Missionaries;  but  not  so  for  the 


170  THE    LIFE    OF 

whites,  for  they  never  pretend  to  interfere  with 
them,  in  any  way. 

Before  Conference,  and  while  I  was  obliged  to 
be  at  their  mission,  for  there  was  no  other  road 
for  us  to  go,  the  Sioux  tried  to  intimidate  me  by 
pointing  their  guns  to  my  breast,  and  by  flourish 
ing  their  war  clubs  about  my  head ;  they  would 
say,  "  I  wish  you  had  longer  hair,  so  that  I  could 
take  a  good  hold  of  it  and  scalp  you."  I  cannot 
describe  my  feelings,  on  this  occasion,  better,  than 
by  quoting,  with  a  little  alteration,  from  the 
immortal  bard  of  Avon :  —  "  they  were  so  terrible, 
that  they  shook  my  soul,  and  made  my  seated 
heart  knock  at  my  ribs  against  the  use  of  nature ; 
cold  drops  of  sweat  hung  on  my  trembling  flesh, 
my  blood  grew  chilly,  and  I  seemed  to  freeze  with 
horror."  I  would  often  go  and  see  them  in  their 
Tepees  (wig- warns) ;  this  was  good  policy.  They 
frequently  showed  me  some  of  the  scalps  of  the 
Ojebwas,  and  danced  the  scalping  dance.  What 
awful  noises  they  made,  as  they  danced  in  their 
fantastic  dresses,  with  their  faces  painted  black. 
They  reminded  me  much  of  his  Satanic  and  fiend 
ish  majesty,  rejoicing  over  a  damned  spirit  enter 
ing  hell. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH. 


17f 


During  this  summer,  I  accompanied  Brother 
Kavanaugh  to  Sandy  Lake  Mission,  at  the  head 
of  the  Mississippi.  I  returned  by  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  while  Brother  Kavanaugh  went  by  the 
way  of  Lake  Superior,  he  having  business  with 
the  American  Fur  Company.  When  I  arrived,  I 
learned  that  the  elder  son  of  Brother  Kavanaugh 
had  been  drowned ;  he  fell  from  a  ledge  of  rocks. 
Sister  Kavanaugh  felt  deeply,  this  mercifully  se 
vere  dispensation.  Brother  Kavanaugh  now  ar 
rived  ;  poor  man !  he  could  not  speak  to  me  for 
some  time.  I  met  him  some  distance  from  his 
house ;  he  had  heard  of  the  circumstance,  but 
had  not,  as  yet,  been  home.  "  How  unsearchable 
are  God's  judgments;  and  his  ways  past  finding 
out."  Yet,  withal,  in  such  dark  hours,  many  a 
Christian  sees  parental  Love.  Ah  !  we  may  often 
exclaim,  in  the  language  of  good  old  Jacob,  "  All 
these  things  are  against  me,"  but  we  may  also 
say,  God  orders  every  thing  for  the  good  of  his 
own. 

That  summer  we  went  to  Conference,  which 
was  held  in  Platteville.  I  was  then  appointed  to 
establish  a  Mission  at  Fon  du  Lac,  at  the  head  of 


172  THE    LIFE    OF 

Lake  Superior.     Brother  James  Simpson  was  ap 
pointed  school  teacher. 

We  traveled  from  the  Sioux  Mission  up  the 
St.  Croix  River,  crossed  over  to  Burnt- wood  Ri 
ver,  and  thence  to  Lake  Superior.  Having  pro 
vided  food,  I  departed  with  Mrs.  Copway  and 
her  sister,  John  Jacob,  Massey,  and  Brother  Simp 
son,  about  the  fifteenth  of  September.  We  were 
two  weeks  on  the  St.  Croix  River;  and  part  of 
this  time  I  was  so  sick  as  to  become  delirious. 
I  was  just  able  to  walk  over  the  two  mile  por 
tage  to  Burnt- wood  River.  The  other  men,  there 
fore,  had  to  carry  the  large  canoe  the  two  miles; 
this  was  hard,  but  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  help 
them.  We  were  now  out  of  provisions.  I  have 
been  told,  by  good  authority,  the  following  singu 
lar  fact.  There  is  but  one  spring  which  forms 
the  two  rivers ;  — the  St.  Croix  which  runs  down 
to  the  Mississippi,  and  the  Burnt- wood  River 
which  runs  down  to  Lake  Superior. 

In  going  down  the  Burnt- wood  River,  our  pro 
gress  was  slow.  We  were  out  of  provisions  from 
Thursday,  till  Sabbath  morning,  when  we  arrived 
at  Fon  du  Lac.  On  Saturday,  Mrs.  Copway  and 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  173 

her  sister  had  a  small  piece  of  bread  between 
them;  the  rest  lived  upon  hope.  In  the  after 
noon,  we  rowed  about  twenty-eight  miles,  and 
on  Sabbath  morning  just  at  day-break  we  had  to 
start  for  our  station,  Fon  du  Lac ;  about  twelve 
o'clock  we  arrived  there,  and  saw  John  Lawn- 
dree,  the  trader,  who  was  celebrated  for  his  hos 
pitality.  I  shook  hands  with  him ;  he  asked  me 
if  I  were  sick;  and  said,  "  You  look  pale."  I 
told  him,  we  were  all  hungry,  and  had  had  no 
thing  to  eat  but  a  small  piece  of  bread  since  Fri 
day  evening.  "  Ah,  indeed ! "  said  he,  "  I  will 
soon  have  breakfast  for  you."  Mrs.  Laundree, 
after  a  few  minutes,  had  every  thing  necessary 
for  our  cheer  and  comfort.  While  eating,  I 
thought,  that  whatever  might  be  said  of  Catho 
lics,  this  was  truly  a  Christian  act ;  and  heaven 
will  not  let  it  pass  unnoticed. 

In  the  evening  I  addressed  a  company  of  traders 
and  Indians.  I  found  the  Indians  in  a  miserable 
state ;  the  cause  of  which,  I  attribute  wholly  to 
their  intercourse  with  the  traders,  the  principal 
part  of  whom  are  notoriously  wicked  and  pro 
fane.  I  felt  very  thankful,  however,  that  we 

22 


174  THE   LIFE   OF 

were  here ;  yet  I  was  filled  with  anxieties ;  for 
how  should  I  begin  my  labors  ?  Brother  Simp 
son  and  I,  commenced  by  fitting  up  the  old  mis 
sion  house,  formerly  occupied  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Ely,  who  had  taught  many  to  read  and  write. 
The  school  house,  also,  was  fitted  up,  and  in  it 
Brother  Simpson  taught,  till  the  spring.  Our 
prospects  seemed  to  brighten  up,  and  we  had 
good  reason  to  think  that  the  Indians  were  glad 
to  have  us  with  them ;  for  they  sent  their  child 
ren  regularly  to  school,  and  our  religious  meet 
ings  were  well  attended.  During  the  winter 
several  became  seriously  and  religiously  affected ; 
and  in  the  spring,  a  few  believed  that  they  had 
experienced  a  change  of  heart.  This  encouraged 
us  much.  I  can  never  forget  the  happy  seasons 
I  enjoyed,  in  my  visits  from  house  to  house,  and 
in  the  woods.  I  endeavored  to  seek  out  all ;  and 
the  good  Master  was  gracious  to  me.  I  have 
often  traveled  about  among  them  on  snow  shoes, 
weeping  for  joy.  Often  too,  did  I  sleep  alone  in 
the  woods,  having  had  to  dig  away  the  snow  to  pre 
pare  a  place  to  lie  on.  Though  frequently  hungry, 
faint,  and  lonely,  I  enjoyed  the  presence  of  the 


K  AH-GE-GA-GAH-BO  WH .  175 

Lord,  On  one  occasion  I  was  sorely  tried :  —  I 
accompanied  one  of  the  traders  about  one  hun 
dred  and  eighty  miles,  to  purchase  cattle  for  our 
place.  I  bought  a  cow  for  my  own  immediate 
family ;  and  in  the  spring,  it  was  killed  and  eaten 
by  the  Indians.  Had  they  been  in  want,  there 
might  have  been  some  excuse  for  such  an  act. 
We  expected  her  to  "come  in"  in  about  three 
weeks,  and  her  milk  was  to  be  our  chief  depend 
ence.  It  was  a  cruel  piece  of  work.  After  hav 
ing  traveled  too,  three  hundred  and  sixty  miles 
for  the  express  purpose  of  obtaining  her,  and  then 
to  be  thus  deprived,  was  a  hard  case  truly.  Had 
she  lived,  many  of  the  children  of  the  Indians 
would  have  shared  in  the  milk.  When  will  the 
poor  Indians  be  instructed  in  right  principles  ? 

From  a  long  experience,  and  close  observations 
among  the  Sioux  and  the  Ojebwas,  in  regard  to 
the  hostile  feelings  existing  between  them,  I  have 
been  brought  to  the  following  conclusions: 

1.  That  Christianity  and  education  alone,  will 
check  their  malevolent  and  hostile  feelings,  and 
thus  put  an  end  to  their  bloody  wars.  For  this 
end,  missionaries  must  be  sent  to  both  nations. 


176  THE   LIFE   OF 

2.  That  it  is  useless  to  send  missionaries  with 
out  suitable  interpreters  to  assist  them. 

3.  That  Missions  should  be  established  in  the 
vicinities  of  the  borders  of  the  neutral  grounds 
of  these  two  powerful  and  savage  nations;  be 
cause  in  these  places  there  is  but  little,  if  any 
thing,  to  excite  them  to  revenge. 

4.  That  wherever  a  Mission  is  once  established, 
it  must  never  be  abandoned. 

5.  That  where  any  Protestant  Mission  is  esta 
blished   in  any  village,  no  other  denomination 
should  establish  another  in  the  same  place,  or 
interfere  in  any  other  way. 

6.  That  missionaries  ought  to  assist  each  other 
whenever  they  happen   to  fall   in  each  other's 
way,  or  are  requested  to  do  so. 

7.  That  missionaries  ought  not  to  preach  their 
own  peculiar  doctrines,   to  the  disadvantage  of 
other  denominations;    for  this  not  only  lessens 
their  own  influence,  but  likewise  that  of  others. 

The  scenery  near  the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  is 
almost  as  splendid  as  that  of  the  beautiful  Hud 
son.  There  is  a  magnificent  fall  about  eight 
miles  above  the  Mission.  The  Indians  often  kill 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  177 

moose,  bears,  and  deer,  in  this  region.  In  the 
spring,  summer,  and  fall,  they  live  on  fish.  As 
we  had  no  salt,  we  were  obliged  to  preserve  our 
fish  by  hanging  them  on  poles,  with  their  heads 
downwards,  and  in  this  manner  they  woiild 
freeze.  When  the  spring  arrived,  they  began  to 
thaw,  and  becoming  soft,  would  fall  from  the 
poles.  Late  in  the  fall,  white  fish  ascend  the 
rapids,  and  can  be  scooped  up  with  nets.  In  the 
spring,  fish  of  every  kind,  and  in  great  abundance, 
ascend  these  rapids. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1842,  it  pleased  the  Lord 
to  bless  us  with  a  son.  This  was  our  first 
child  —  a  fine  healthy  boy.  We  thanked  God 
for  his  goodness  and  mercy  in  preserving  all  our 
lives  in  the  desert,  and  while  surrounded  by  sava 
ges.  I  committed  and  commended  him  to  God. 
May  he  live  to  take  his  station  in  the  missionary 
field. 

Brother  Kavanaugh  was  kind  enough  to  visit 
us ;  he  returned  by  the  way  of  Sandy  Lake  Mis 
sion.  I  accompanied  him  over  the  first  Portage ; 
here  we  knelt  down  on  the  green,  and  worshipped 
the  God  of  Missions.  We  now  parted ;  but  I 


178  THE    LIFE    OF 

still  hope  to  see  this  affectionate  brother  again, 
even  in  this  world.  But  if  we  shall  never  meet 
on  earth,  I  trust,  we  shall,  in  heaven,  "where  the 
wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary  are 
at  rest." 

"  Where  we  shall  forget  our  sorrows  and  pains, 
And  with  our  Redeemer  in  glory  shall  reign, 
Shall  sing  the  anthems  resounding. on  high, 
And  bathe  in  the  ocean  that  never  shall  drv." 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  179 


CHAPTER  XV. 


WE  were  often  delightfully  associated  with  the 
Presbyterian  Missionaries  at  La  Pointe,  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Hall  and  Wheeler,  and  their  amiable  fami 
lies.  Their  benevolence  and  Christian  courtesy 
are  above  any  praise  that  we  can  render ;  but  we 
would  acknowledge  that  our  hearts  overflow  with 
'great  gratitude  whenever  we  recall  them  to  mind. 
It  was  here  that  I  became  acquainted  with  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Boutwell.  I  preached  for  these  beloved 
j brethren  several  times,  and  we  enjoyed  sweet 
communion,  and  some  thrilling  seasons  together. 

The  Council  of  the  Ojebwa  nation  assembled 
in  this  place  about  the  first  of  October.  The  gov 
ernment  agent,  R.  Stewart,  of  Detroit,  treated  with 
them  for  their  mineral  regions,  for  which  the 
Government  gave  them  a  large  amount  in  money. 
From  this  time,  I  shall  date  the  dissipation,  mi 
sery,  and  ruin,  of  this  part  of  our  nation. 


180  THE   LIFE   OF 

1.  Because  it  induces  speculators  to  visit  them 
yearly  to  sell  their  goods  at  enormous  prices ;  and 
their  whiskey,  which  inevitably  ruins  both  body 
and  soul. 

2.  Because  it  opens  the  door  fdr  all  sorts  of  un 
principled  men  and  vagabonds.     The  miners,  too, 
many  of  whom,  are  no  better  than  pickpockets. 

3.  Because,  in  possessing  so  much  money  with 
out  any  correct  views  of  economy,  utility,   or 
prudence,  it  becomes  to  them  f '  the  root  of  all 
evil"  —  a  curse  instead  of  a  blessing. 

In  these  appropriations,  the  American  Govern 
ment  have  grossly  erred.  What  benefit  can  the 
many  thousands  of  dollars,  which  are  paid  annu 
ally,  be  to  the  Indians,  if  they  are  not  capable  of 
exercising  any  judgment  in  relation  to  a  proper 
use  of  money  ?  The  fact  is,  that,  at  the  end  of 
every  year,  they  are  sunk  into  deeper  degradation. 
I  would  now  ask,  what  are  millions  of  money 
without  education  ?  I  do  not  mean  that  an  equiva 
lent  should  not  be  given  for  lands  ceded  to  the 
Government.  No ;  but  I  do  mean  that  this  equiv 
alent  should  be  appropriated  in  such  a  way  as  to 
produce  the  greatest  benefits  and  the  happiest  re- 


K  AH-GE-GA-GAH-BO  WH .  181 

suits.  If  a  certain  amount  had  been  given  in  cash, 
another  amount  in  cattle  and  farmer's  utensils, 
another  in  clothing,  another  in  houses  and  school 
houses,  and  the  like ;  and  with  these,  if  a  few  me 
chanics,  farmers,  and  teachers,  had  been  sent 
among  them,  the  Indians  might  have  become  in 
dustrious,  intelligent,  and  useful  citizens.  One 
third  of  each  annual  payment  would  be  sufficient 
to  educate,  and  to  supply  all  the  wants  of,  their 
children.  It  may  be  supposed  by  some,  that  the 
white  people,  settled  near  them,  give  them  good 
advice,  and  urge  upon  them  the  propriety  and  ne 
cessity  of  appropriating  their  monies  in  the  man 
ner  just  suggested.  Yet  this  is  not  only  not  the 
case,  but  these  very  whites,  at  least  a  large  ma 
jority  of  them,  are  continually  laying  plans  by 
which  they  can  extort  from  these  unlettered  and 
ignorant  Indians,  whatever  they  possess.  I  write 
not  at  random,  on  these  matters.  I  am  too  well 
acquainted  with  them  from  painful  observation 
and  bitter  experience.  I  have  been  present  at 
ten  payments ;  viz.  at  Sault  St.  Marie,  Mackinaw, 
Green  Bay,  Prairie  Du  Chien,  and  St.  Peters.  Du 
ring  these  payments,  quantities  of  whiskey  were 

23 

I 


182  THE    LIFE    OF 

brought  to  the  Indians,  or  else,  they  were  seduced 
to  go  elsewhere  to  purchase  it.  Poor  untutored  red 
men  !  you  were  deluded,  and  made  drunk  by 
white  men,  and  then  in  your  hellish  and  drunken 
passions,  you  turned  around,  and  imbrued  your 
hands  in  the  blood  of  your  own  relatives,  and 
brethren.  And  were  I  to  narrate  some  of  the 
scenes  which  occurred  among  the  white  faces 
(with  black  hearts),  on  these  occasions,  it  would 
sicken  the  heart;  nay,  it  would  make  mad  the 
guilty,  and  appal  the  innocent.  The  very  devil 
himself  might  shudder. 

It  was  now  two  years  since  I  left  Canada;  I 
received  letters  from  there,  from  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Stinson,  Green,  and  Jones,  requesting  me  to  re 
turn  home  and  labor  with  them.  At  first,  I  did 
not  deem  it  advisable  to  go,  because  I  felt  under 
many  obligations  to  those  who  had  sent  me  to 
school  for  two  years ;  and  had  rendered  me  other 
kind  services.  But  it  was  not  until  after  repeated 
solicitations  had  been  made,  and  money  to  defray 
my  traveling  expenses  had  been  remitted,  that  I 
consented.  I  obtained  permission  from  my  Super 
intendent,  Rev.  J.  R.  Goodrich,  to  depart.  I  left 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  183 

La  Pointe,  Oct.  10th,  in  the  schooner  Algonquin 
for  Sault  St.  Marie.  From  there  we  took  a  row 
boat  for  Mackinaw,  and  at  M.  took  a  steamboat 
for  Buffalo;  we  now  proceeded  onwards  and  ar 
rived  at  Toronto  on  the  28th  of  October.  My 
wife's  parents,  and  relatives,  and  very  many  dear 
friends  were  delighted  to  see  us  again,  after  an  ab 
sence  of  two  years.  We  found  them  all  well,  and 
felt  grateful  to  God  for  another  expression  of  his 
abundant  goodness  and  mercy.  I  spent  much  of 
my  time  in  narrating  the  scenes  we  had  witness 
ed,  and  a  full  account  of  my  mission. 

In  about  a  month,  I  was  sent  to  Credit  river, 
(Mrs.  C.  remained  behind  in  her  father's  family). 
Here  I  taught  school  till  Christmas,  when  I  be 
gan  traveling  with  Rev.  Wm.  Ryerson,  on  a  Mis 
sionary  tour  towards  Montreal.  We  were  absent 
about  three  months,  and  preached  or  spoke  every 
day.  We  collected  about  a  thousand  dollars  per 
month.  The  eloquence  and  piety  of  brother  R. 
seemed  to  be  duly  appreciated  wherever  we  went. 
He  is  the  best  platform  speaker,  that  I  have  ever 
heard  in  the  Methodist  connexion.  I  had  sup 
posed,  however,  that  he  would  be  dull  and  mo- 


184  THE   LIFE   OF 

notonous ;  but  this  was  far,  very  far  from  the 
fact. 

Having  returned  from  this  tour,  to  Toronto,  I 
was  next  appointed  by  the  Missionary  Society  to 
labor  at  the  Saugeeng  Mission,  in  the  place  of  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Williams.  On  this  journey  my  wife 
accompained  me.  The  distance  was  one  hun 
dred  and  sixty  miles ;  and  we  reached  there  on 
the  12th  of  April,  '43.  On  our  way,  we  stopped 
at  Goderich ;  and  from  thence  we  took  a  canoe 
about  sixty-five  miles. 

I  entered  upon  my  duties  as  a  missionary 
among  the  Christian  Indians.  I  met  with  diffi 
culties,  for  I  could  obtain  nothing  without  money ; 
and  even  when  a  request  was  made,  it  was  not 
met  by  the  Society.  I  could  not  be  convinced 
that  it  was  my  duty  to  starve,  and  therefore  con 
cluded  I  must  leave.  My  Indian  brethren  step 
ped  forward  at  this  time,  and  petitioned  Governor 
Metcalf,  to  afford  me  a  living  from  the  Govern 
ment.  Their  request  was  granted,  and  I  was 
paid  by  Government  $400  per  year,  for  three  years. 
I  should  have  continued  here,  but  the  next  year 
my  services  were  demanded  among  my  relatives 
at  Rice  Lake. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  185 

In  the  summer,  I  took  Mrs.  Cop  way  to  Toronto, 
and  left  her  at  her  father's,  while  I  was  absent  at 
Montreal  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jones.  Here,  we 
waited  on  the  the  Governor  General,  and  present 
ed  our  views,  and  those  of  our  people,  respecting 
the  formation  of  a  Manual  Labor  School  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Indians.  The  Governor  expressed 
himself  as  favorably  disposed,  but  was  too  sick  to 
take  an  active  part  in  it.  But  before  this,  the 
Canada  Conference  had  appointed  Rev.  P.  Jones 
and  myself,  to  visit  the  Missions,  and  ascertain 
how  much  each  Mission  was  willing  to  contribute 
for  this  object*  During  this  fall,  Mr.  Jones  and 
family  left  for  England. 

I  returned  to  Toronto  and  took  my  family  back 
to  Saugeeiig  Mission.  While  on  our  passage,  in  a 
schooner,  our  little  son,  who  was  about  three  years 
old,  fell  overboard;  we  heard  him  fall  into  the  wa 
ter.  I  ran  immediately  to  the  side  of  the  vessel  and 
jumped  into  the  lake.  The  schooner  was  sailing 
quite  rapidly,  and  had  passed  him  about  twenty 
yards.  I  swam  as  fast  as  possible,  and  saw  him 

*  The  amount  reported  from  the  Indians  alone,  was  $2,800. 


186  THE    LIFE    OF 

• 

arid  brought  him  to  the  surface.  As  the  waves 
were  running  high,  it  was  with  the  greatest  diffi 
culty  that  that  I  could  keep  him  above  the  water 
so  that  he  could  breathe ;  and  I  was  compelled  at 
times  to  let  him  sink  an  instant,  that  I  might 
breathe  myself.  I  heard  him  cry,  which  was 
encouraging,  for  I  was  fearful  that  he  was  dying. 
At  one  time  I  almost  despaired  of  saving  either 
of  our  lives.  I  was  about  giving  up  all  hope, 
when  I  saw  the  yawl  boat  near  me,  and  I  was 
told  that  I  was  just  about  sinking,  when  the  cap 
tain  rescued  us  from  a  watery  grave.  The  cap 
tain,  and  all  on  board,  were  so  frightened,  that 
they  lost  some  time  in  concluding  what  to  do. 
Had  they  luffed  at  once,  and  despatched  the  yawl, 
two  or  three  minutes  might  have  been  saved. 
But,  I  ought  not  to  complain;  our  lives  were 
spared,  and  thanks  be  to  a  kind  Providence  for 
his  timely  deliverance.  I  then  gave  him  up  to 
God,  and  prayed  that  he  might  be  preserved,  and 
be  devoted  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 

We  now  resumed  our  labors  at  the  Mission. 
While  at  this  station  there  were  many  hopeful 
conversions.  A  remarkable  circumstance  is,  that 


*>$i    KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  187 

c. . .     .-.   ...  ••*.•  Jbr  2J3 

sink.  When  I  reached  the  spot  where  he  sank,  I 
dove  down  about  seven  feet,  seized  hold  of  him, 
during  the  whole  three  years  of  my  sojourn  in 
this  field  of  labor,  I  never  knew  but  one  single  case 
in  which  fire-water  was  used.  I  must  not  omit 
noticing  here,  a  very  faithful  teacher  in  my  charge, 
Jacob  Jackson;  his  influence  was  of  the  best 
kind;  he  was  also  a  very  pleasant  and  interesting 
singer.  It  had  been  but  a  few  years  since  these 
Indians  were  converted.  They  now  have  good 
farms,  dwellings,  school  houses,  meeting  houses, 
and  a  saw  mill.  How  wonderful  are  the  effects 
of  the  gospel !  They  also  take  delight  in  pray 
ing,  and  in  singing  the  praises  of  God.  Had  the 
American  Government  adopted  the  same  course 
towards  the  La  Pointe  Indians,  that  the  British 
Government  adopted  towards  these,  the  same 
lasting  blessings  would  have  ensued. 


188  THE    LIFE    OF 


CHAPTER  XVL 


OF  late,  the  General  Councils  of  the  christian 
ized  Ojebwas  have  been  convened,  and  conduct 
ed,  in  the  same  manner  as  public  and  other  busi 
ness  meetings  are  conducted  among  the  whites. 
The  last  General  Council,  which  consisted  of 
Ojebwas  and  Ottawas,  was  held  at  Saugeeng. 
The  chiefs  came  from  Lakes  St.  Clair,  Huron, 
Ontario,  and  Simcoe,  and  from  Rice  and  Mud 
Lakes.  The  object  of  this  convention  was  to  de 
vise  plans  by  which  the  tract  of  land  now  owned 
by  the  Saugeeng  Indians,  could  be  held  for  the 
sole  benefit  of  the  Ojebwa  Nation ;  to  petition 
the  Government  for  aid  in  establishing  a  Manual 
Labor  School ;  to  ascertain  the  views  and  feelings 
of  the  chiefs  in  relation  to  forming  one  large  set 
tlement  among  themselves  at  Owen's  Sound,  there 
to  live  in  future ;  and  to  attend  to  other  things  of 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  189 

minor  importance.  There  were  forty-eight  chiefs 
present,  from  Canada  West  alone.  Chief  Saw 
yer  took  the  chair,  and  the  writer  had  the  honor 
of  being  Vice-President.  Chief  John  Jones,  of 
Owen  Sound,  was  selected  to  deliver  the  opening 
address,  in  which  he  was  to  give  an  outline  of 
the  subjects  to  be  discussed.  The  meeting  was 
now  called  to  order;  and  after  singing,  and  an 
appropriate  prayer  by  Chief  John  Sunday,  Chief 
Jones  arose ;  all  was  silent,  and  every  eye  was 
turned  towards  him.  After  rolling  his  small  but 
piercing  black  eye  over  the  vast  assembly,  he 
spoke  as  follows :  - 

"  Brothers !  You  have  been  called  from  all  parts 
of  Canada,  and  even  from  the  north  of  Georgian 
Bay.  You  are  from  your  homes,  your  wives,  and 
your  children.  We  might  regret  this,  were  it  not 
for  the  circumstances  that  require  you  here. 

"Fellow  Chiefs,  and  Brothers,  I  have  ponder 
ed  with  deep  solicitude,  our  present  condition ; 
and  the  future  welfare  of  our  children,  as  well 
as  of  ourselves.  I  have  studied  deeply  and 
anxiously,  in  order  to  arrive  at  a  true  know- 

24 


190  THE  LIFE   OF 

ledge  of  the  proper  course  to  be  pursued  to  se 
cure  to  us  and  to  our  descendants,  and  even  to 
others  around  us,  the  greatest  amount  of  peace, 
health,  happiness,  and  usefulness.  The  interests 
of  the  Ojebwas  and  the  Ottawas  are  near  and 
dear  to  my  heart ;  for  them,  I  have  passed  many 
sleepless  nights,  and  have  often  suffered  from  an 
agitated  mind.  These  nations,  I  am  proud  to 
say,  are  my  brothers ;  many  of  them,  are  bone 
of  my  bone,  and  for  them,  if  needs  be,  I  could 
willingly,  nay,  cheerfully,  sacrifice  any  thing. 
Brothers,  you  see  my  heart.  [Here,  the  speaker 
held  out  a  piece  of  white  paper,  emblematical  of 
a  pure  heart.] 

"Fellow  Chiefs  and  Warriors !  I  have  looked 
over  your  wigwams  throughout  Canada,  and 
have  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  that  you  are  in  a 
warm  place;  your  neighbors,  the  whites,  are 
kindling  fires  all  around  you  [that  is,  clearing  the 
lands].  One  purpose  for  which  you  have  been 
called  together,  is  to  devise  some  plan  by  which 
we  can  live  together,  and  become  a  happy  people, 
so  that  our  dying  fires  may  not  go  out  [our  nation 
may  not  become  extinct],  but  may  be  kindled  in 


K  AH-GE-GA-GAH-BO  WH .  191 

one  place,  which  will  prove  a  blessing  to  our 
children. 

"  Brothers !  Some  of  you  are  living  on  small 
parcels  of  land,  and  others,  on  Islands.  We  now 
offer  you  any  portion  of  the  land  which  we  own 
in  this  region ;  that  we  may,  the  rest  of  our  days, 
smoke  the  pipe  of  friendship ;  live  and  die  toge 
ther  ;  and  see  our  children  play,  and  be  reared 
on  one  spot.  We  ask  no  money  of  you.  We 
love  you ;  and  because  we  love  you,  and  feel  for 
your  children,  we  propose  this, 

fl  Brothers  !  There  are  many  other  subjects 
which  we  think  ought  to  come  under  your  con 
sideration,  besides  those  already  stated.  But  the 
most  important  are : 

"  1.  Whether  it  would  not  be  better  for  the 
whole  Ojebwa  Nation  to  reside  on  this,  our  terri 
tory. 

"  2.  Would  it  not  be  well  to  devise  ways  and 
means  to  establish  Manual  Labor  Schools  for  the 
benefit  of  the  nation. 

"  3.  Ought  not  a  petition  be  drawn  up  and 
presented  to  our  Great  Father  [the  Governor  Ge 
neral],  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  upon  a  definite 


192  THE   LIFE   OF 

time  for  the  distribution  of  the  annual  "  presents," 
and  the  small  annuities  of  each  tribe. 

"4.  Is  it  not  desirable  to  petition  the  Governor 
General,  to  appoint  a  resident  Indian  interpreter, 
to  assist  the  agent  in  Toronto. 

"  5.  As  we  [the  Christian  part  of  our  nation] 
have  abandoned  our  former  customs  and  ceremo 
nies,  ought  we  not  to  make  our  own  laws,  in  or 
der  to  give  character  and  stability  to  our  chiefs, 
as  well  as  to  empower  them  to  treat  with  the 
Government  under  which  we  live,  that  they  may, 
from  time  to  time,  present  all  our  grievances  and 
other  matters  to  the  General  Government. 

"My  Chiefs,  Brothers,  Warriors  !  This  morning, 
[the  speaker  now  pointed  his  finger  towards  hea 
ven]  look  up,  and  see  the  blue  sky ;  there  are  no 
clouds ;  the  sun  is  bright  and  clear.  Our  fathers 
taught  us,  that  at  such  assemblies  when  the  sky 
was  without  clouds,  the  Great  Spirit  was  smiling 
upon  them.  May  he  now  preside  over  us,  that 
we  may  make  a  long,  smooth,  and  straight  path 
for  our  children.  It  is  true,  I  seldom  see  you  all ; 
but  this  morning,  I  shake  hands  with  you  all  in 
my  heart. 

"  Brothers !  This  is  all  I  have  to  say." 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  1 93 

On  taking  his  seat  eighty- four  Chiefs  respond 
ed,  "  Hah ! "  an  exclamation  of  great  applause. 

Several  chiefs  spoke,  and  highly  approved  of 
what  had  been  proposed ;  and  expressed  their 
gratitude  for  the  kind  offer  of  the  lands.  It  was 
proposed  to  petition  his  Excellency  the  G  overnor, 
to  grant  and  secure  to  the  Indians,  the  whole  of 
this  territory. 

The  following  was  drawn  up  by  John  Jones, 
Jacob  Jackson,  and  David  Wa-wa-nosh. 


The  Petition  of  the  Ojebwa  Chiefs,  in  General  Council,  respect 
ing  the  unceded  lands  north  of  Saugeeng  and  Owen's  Sound. 
June  5th,  1845. 

To  our  Great  Father  Lord  METCALF,  Governor  General  of 
British  North  America,  and  Captain  General  of  the  same, 
&c.,  &c. 

The  OJEBWA.  CHIEFS  in  General  Council  assembled,  HUMBLY  SHEWETH  : 

FATHER — Your  Petitioners  having  ceded  a  great  portion  of 
their  once  extensive  territory  about  Saugeeng  and  Owen's 
Sound,  and  a  portion  of  it  having  been  restored  to  them  since 
the  treaty  of  1836,  by  your  Excellency's  gracious  commands  ; 

FATHER — Your  Petitioners  are  very  anxious  that  the  Re 
serve  (now  still  known  as  the  Indian  Territory),  be  a  perpetual 
reserve,  as  a  future  refuge  for  a  general  colonization  of  the 
Ojebwa  Nation,  comprising  the  scattered  Tribes  in  Canada 
West; 


194  THE    LIFE    OF 

FATHER — And  that  these  lands  may  now  and  forever  be  open 
ed  to  all  the  Tribes ;  that  whenever  any  Tribe  is  disposed  to 
move,  that  they  may  have  nothing  to  fear,  but  have  access  to 
any  of  the  good  lands  to  settle  upon  ; 

FATHER — You  have  settled  your  white  children  on  those 
lands  that  once  were  our  father's  ;  we  ask  now  to  let  us  have 
the  only  remaining  land  we  have,  to  ourselves,  unmolested ; 

FATHER — This  is  the  prayer  of  your  red  children;  and  feeling 
confident  that  you  will  give  it  every  important  consideration 
which  it  requires,  your  red  children  will  listen  to  hear  the 
answer  of  their  Great  Father.  And  they,  as  in  duty  bound, 
will  ever  pray. 

Forty-seven  names,  besides  that  of  the  Presi 
dent,  were  attached  to  this  petition. 

Never  was  I  more  delighted  than  with  the  ap 
pearance  of  this  body.  As  I  sat  and  looked  at 
them,  I  contrasted  their  former  (degraded),  with 
their  present  (elevated)  condition.  The  Gospel,  I 
thought,  had  done  all  this.  If  any  one  had  told 
me  twenty  years  ago,  that  such  would  be  their 
condition,  I  should  have  ridiculed  the  idea,  and 
set  the  narrator  down  for  a  fool  or  a  maniac.  This 
assembly  was  not  convened  for  the  purpose  of  de 
vising  schemes  of  murder ;  plans  by  which  they 
could  kill  their  enemies ;  but  to  adopt  measures 
by  which  peace,  harmony,  and  love,  might  be  se 
cured,  and  a  "smooth  and  straight  path"  made 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  195 

for  their  children.  I  see  nothing  at  present,  to 
hinder  them  from  increasing  in  knowledge,  hap 
piness,  and  usefulness,  except  the  conduct  of  the 
Government  Agents,  many  of  whom  are  inimical 
to  our  nation,  and  often  prove  a  curse  to  her. 

Several  other  papers  were  drawn  up,  and  signed 
by  the  President,  by  order  of  the  General  Council. 
One  of  these  I  must  be  allowed  to  give,  although 
it  concerns  myself. 

To  ALL  TO  WHOM  IT  MAY  CONCERN.  In  the  General  Council  of 
the  Ojebwa  nation  of  Indians.  We,  the  Chiefs,  of  the  varions 
Tribes  of  the  Ojebwa  Indians,  do  hereby  appoint,  and  author 
ize  our  beloved  brother,  the  Rev.  George  Copway,  as  our  agent 
for  the  Manual  Labor  School,  to  procure  subscriptions  for  the 
same,  believing  that  this  will  be  one  of  the  greatest  means,  if 
established,  of  raising  our  young  men,  to  become  like  our  White 
brothers  ;  to  learn  industry,  economy,  and  to  gain  knowledge, 
that  we  may  become  a  happy  and  a  prosperous  people. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  General  Council. 

JOSEPH  SAWYER,  [L.  s.] 

President  of  the  General  Council  of  the  Ojebwa  Nation. 
Saugeeng,  July  4,  1845. 

I  will  also  give  an  extract  of  my  letter  to  the 
Eev.  Mr.  Wilkinson,  who  was  then  President  of 
the  Canada  Conference,  immediately  after  the 
close  of  the  General  Council. 


196  THE   LIFE    OF 

[Extract  from  Letter  Book,  Page  151.] 

SAUGEENG  MISSION,  ) 
July  14,  1845.       ( 

To  the  President  of  the  Conference,  Rev.  MR.  WILKINSON. 
*  *  ***** 

The  late  General  Council,  have  appointed  me  their  agent  for 
the  Manual  Labor  School.  I  shall  be  happy  to  receive  any  in 
structions  you  may  think  proper  to  give,  on  my  way  down  [to 

Montreal],  for  I  am  anxious  to  see  this  going  on. 

******* 

I  remain  Yours,  &c., 

GEORGE  COPWAY, 

Missionary  at  Saugeeng. 

I  give  these,  for  the  benefit  and  instruction  of 
those,  who  have  been  so  kind  as  to  insinuate,  or  as 
sert,  that  I  was  not  an  authorized  agent  to  forward 
the  interests  of  my  poor  people.  Those  who  have 
been  the  loudest  and  most  active  in  this  slander, 
have  done  the  least,  in  rendering  the  Indians  any 
essential  service.  Let  them  go  on,  with  their 
gossipings,  while  I  go  on  my  way  rejoicing  in 
doing  all  I  can  for  my  poor  people,  indepen 
dently  of  the  Canada  Conference.  Neither  have 
I  any  disposition  to  court  the  favor  of  this  Con 
ference.  Indeed,  my  heart  has  often  sickened,  at 
the  divisions  and  subdivisions  of  the  Canada  Me 
thodists. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  197 

The  speeches  of  Jones,  Sunday,  Taunchey,  Mo 
Cue,  D.  Sawyer,  J.  Youngs,  W.  Herkermer,  were 
excellent.  That  of  John  Sunday,  particularly, 
was  uncommonly  eloquent.  His  keen  black  eyes, 
flashing  fire  ;  and  his  large  brawny  arms  extend 
ed,  gave  great  effect  to  his  speech.  As  a  matter 
of  course,  there  were  often  differences  of  opinion, 
as  well  as  warm  discussions,  upon  various  sub 
jects;  some  would  even  feel  that  their  views  were 
not  fairly  treated;  still,  there  were  no  unkind  re 
marks,  no  calling  of  hard  names,  no  abuse,  110 
ridicule,  no  insults,  no  threats,  no  intrigues,  no 
blows,  and  no  challenges  to  meet  on  the  field  of 
HONOR  (?).  The  individual  who  had  the  floor,  was 
never  interrupted ;  profound  attention  was  given, 
and  a  death-like  silence  was  observed.  Occa 
sionally,  it  is  true,  there  was  perpetrated  a  plea 
sant,  and  innocent  jeu  d'  esprit;  an  example  of 
which,  I  will  give. 

During  a  protracted  debate,  in   which  Chief 
John  Jones  took  a  very  active  part,  some  facts 
were  elicited,  and  some  views  were  presented, 
which  induced  him  to  change  some  of  his  former 

opinions,  and  vote  on  the  other  side.     One  of  the 

25 


198  THE   LIFE   OF 

speakers  at  the  close  of  his  remarks,  referred  to 
this  fact,  and  observed,  very  good  humoredly, 
"If  he  wishes  to  be  like  a  Jish  worm  icithout  a 
liead — capable  of  moving  forwards  or  backwards, 
let  him  alone." 

I  have  often  been  asked  the  question,  "What 
is  the  reason  that  the  Indians  are  diminishing  in 
numbers  in  the  midst  of  their  white  neighbors  ?" 
To  state  all  that  might  be  said  in  replying  to  this 
question,  would  require  almost  a  separate  volume. 
But  the  following  are  a  few  of  the  principal  rea 
sons: — 

1.  The   introduction  of  King  Alcohol  among 
them. 

2.  The  introduction  of  new  diseases,  produced 
by  their  intercourse  with  the  whites;  and   by 
adopting  their  intemperate  habits. 

3.  Their  inability  to  pursue  that  course  of  liv 
ing,   after  abandoning   their    wigwams,   which 
tends  to  health  and  old  age. 

4.  Their  spirits  are  broken  down  in   conse 
quence  of  seeing  that  their  race  are  becoming 
homeless,   friendless,    moneyless,    and    trodden 
down  by  the  whites. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  199 

5.  Their  future  prospects  are  gloomy  and  cheer 
less —  enough  to  break  down  the  noblest  spirits. 

There  are  many  other  reasons  which  could  be 
assigned  for  their  diminution.     But  are  not  these 
sufficient  of  themselves  to  crush  and  exterminate 
even  any  white  race,  if  not  protected  and  defended 
by  friends  and  wholesome  laws  ?     Our  people  have 
been  driven  from  their  homes,  and  have  been  ca 
joled  out  of  the  few  sacred  spots  where  the  bones 
of  their  ancestors  and  children  lie ;  and  where 
they  themselves  expected  to  lie,  when  released 
from  the  trials  and  troubles  of  life.  Were  it  possible 
to  reverse  the  order  of  things,  by  placing  the  whites 
in  the  same  condition,  how  long  would  it  be  en 
dured  ?     There  is  not  a  white  man,  who  deserves 
the  name  of  man,  that  would  not  rather  die,  than 
be   deprived  of  his  home,  and  driven  from  the 
graves  of  his  relatives.     "Oh  shame,  where  is 
thy  blush !" 

With  all  the  wholesome  and  enlightened  laws; 
with  all  the  advantages  and  privileges  of  the  glori 
ous  Gospel,  that  shines  so  richly  and  brightly  all 
around  the  white  man;  the  poor  ignorant  In 
dians  are  compelled,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet, 


200  THE   LIFE    OF 

to  forsake  the  sepulchres  of  those  most  dear  to 
them,  and  to  retire  to  a  strange  land,  where  there 
is  no  inhabitant  to  welcome  them  ! ! !  May  the 
day  soon  dawn,  when  Justice  will  take  her  seat 
upon  the  throne. 

If  I  did  not  think  that  there  were  some  who  are 
alive  to  the  interests  of  my  people,  and  often 
shed  a  tear  for  them ;  if  I  did  not  think  that  I 
could  discover  a  gleam  of  light  and  hope  in  the 
future,  "I  should  of  all  men  be  most  miserable;" 
"  Surely  the  bitterness  of  death  "  would  be  "  past." 
I  look  then  to  the  Gospel  and  to  education  as  my 
only  hope. 

I  will  now  state,  in  a  very  brief  manner,  what 
I  think  ought  to  be  done,  by  those  whose  bene 
volent  feelings  lead  them  to  commiserate  the 
condition  of  the  Aborigines  of  America. 

1.  They  should  establish   missions   and   high 
schools  wherever  the  whites  have  frequent  inter- 4 
course  with  them. 

2.  They  should  use  their  influence,  as  soon  as 
the  Indians  are  well  educated,  and  understand 
the  laws  of  the  land,  to  have  them  placed  on  the 
same  footing  as  the  whites. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  20 1 

3.  They  should  try  to  procure  for  them  a  ter 
ritorial  or  district  government,  so  that  they  may 
represent  their  own  nation. 

4.  They  should  obtain  for  them,  deeds  of  their 
own  lands ;  and,  if  qualified,  according  to  law, 
urge  their  right  to  vote. 

The  Indians  will  be  sure  to  waste  and  squander 
whatever  they  may  receive  from  the  American 
or  British  Governments,  unless  some,  at  least,  of 
the  above  suggestions,  shall  have  been  put  into 
practice. 

The  Council  was  now  dissolved.  The  Presi 
dent,  Chief  Sawyer,  proceeded  to  His  Excellency, 
the  Governor  General,  and  presented  the  peti 
tions,  in  the  name  of  the  General  Council.  These 
petitions,  as  we  learned  afterwards,  were  received 
with  a  simple  nod !  of  the  head.  O  mercy !  is  this 
forever  to  be  our  destiny  ?  Common  humanity 
at  least,  might  have  induced  his  Lordship  to 
speak  a  few  consolatory  words,  if  nothing  else. 
Our  reception  was  both  discouraging  and  chill 
ing.  When  we  have  a  Press  of  our  own,  we 
shall,  perhaps,  be  able  to  plead  our  own  cause, 


202  THE   LIFE   OF 

Give  us  but  the  JBible,  and  the  influence  of  a  Press, 
and  we  ask  no  more. 

The  General  Council  appointed  me  to  go  to 
Walpole,  to  present  their  address  to  the  Walpole 
Island  Indians,  entreating  them  to  embrace 
Christianity.  I  visited  them  in  July. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  203 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


A  GEOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  OJEBWA,  OR 
CHIPPEWAY,  NATION. 

As  THE  Ojebwa  Nation  are  within  the  bounds 
of  the  two  governments  —  the  American  and  the 
British,  I  will  give  a  separate  account  of  each. 
The  number  of  our  nation,  according  to  Drake, 
in  1842,  was  thirty  thousand;  and  this  is  not  far 
from  the  truth.  The  best  work  upon  the  Indians, 
however,  is  that  deservedly  popular  book,  by  Col. 
McKinney,  of  New- York;  the  undoubted  friend 
of  the  red  man. 

I  will  now  speak  of  that  part  of  the  nation 
who  occupy  places  within  the  bounds  of  the 
United  States.  They  inhabit  all  the  northern 
part  of  Michigan,  or  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Hu 
ron  ;  the  whole  northern  part  of  Wisconsin  Ter 
ritory  ;  all  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  for 


204  THE   LIFE   OF 

eight  hundred  miles ;  the  upper  part  of  the  Mis 
sissippi,  and  Sandy,  Leach,  and  Red  Lakes. 

That  part  of  our  nation  who  live  in  the  British 
possessions,  occupy  from  Gononaque,  below  King 
ston,  throughout  all  western  Canada ;  the  north 
of  Lake  Huron ;  the  north  of  Lake  Superior ;  the 
north  of  Lake  Winepig;  the  north  of  Red  River 
Lake,  about  one  hundred  miles.  The  whole  ex 
tent,  therefore,  occupied  is  over  one  thousand 
nine  hundred  miles  east  and  west,  and  from  two 
to  three  hundred  miles  north  and  south. 

There  are  over  five  thousand  living  under  the 
British  Government,  and  less  than  twenty-five 
thousand  under  the  American  Government. 
There  are  about  five  thousand  of  these  who  re 
ceive  religious  instructions ;  missionaries  of  diffe 
rent  denominations  being  sent  from  Canada  and 
the  United  States.  The  Methodists  were  the  first 
who  preached  to  the  Ojebwas,  or  Massissaugas  (as 
they  are  frequently  called).  They  commenced 
at  Credit  River,  in  Canada  West,  in  1824,  and 
at  Grape  island,  in  1827.  The  conversion  of 
some  of  the  Ojebwas  commenced  during  those 
years.  Native  teachers  were  then  sent  to  their 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  205 

brethren  in  the  West,  where  the  influence  of 
Christianity  is  still  felt.  There  are  twenty-three 
Methodist  Missionary  Stations;  six  of  which,  are 
in  the  States,  and  the  remainder  in  Canada.  There 
are  four  Presbyterian  Missions,  all  of  which  are 
in  the  States ;  viz.  La  Pointe,  Bad  River,  Leach 
Lake,  and  Red  Lake.  There  are  seven  Episco 
palian  Mission  Stations ;  all  of  which  are  in  Ca 
nada,  except  one,  which  is  at  Green  Bay.  There 
are  two  Baptist  Mission  Stations,  one  at  Sault  St. 
Marie,  and  the  other  at  Green  Bay.  The  Roman 
Catholics  have  their  missionaries  in  nearly  all 
the  principal  places  in  the  west. 

Those  who  are  not  under  religious  instruction, 
although  accessible,  are  wandering  without  the 
gospel.  There  is  a  field  in  the  Territory  of  Wis 
consin  where  missionaries  should  be  sent.  There 
are  Indians  all  around  the  shores  of  Lake  Supe 
rior  who  have,  from  time  to  time,  called  for  mis 
sionaries,  and  have  not  yet  been  supplied.  The 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  have,  of  late,  adopted  a 
plan  which  in  my  opinion  does  them  much  cre 
dit  ;  they  employ  missionaries  to  give  instruction 

to  the  Indians  and  their  children  in  the  principles 

26 


206  THE   LIFE   OF 

of  Christianity.  There  are  persons  who  once  be 
longed  to  other  nations,  who  now  live  in  the  ter 
ritory  of  the  Ojebwas. 

The  present  state  of  the  christianized  Ojebwas 
is  such,  that  they  are  fully  ripe  for  greater  ad 
vancement  in  religion,  literature,  and  the  arts  and 
sciences.  Multitudes  have  left  their  wigwams, 
their  woods,  and  the  chase,  and  are  now  endea 
voring  to  tread  in  the  footsteps  of  worthy  white 
men.  The  reasons  for  all  this,  are  the  follow 
ing: 

1.  Their  chiefs  have  seen  the  necessity  of  mak 
ing  a  "  smooth,  straight  path  for  their  children," 
by  appropriating  as  much  of  their  means  as  they 
could  spare. 

2.  The  rising  generation  are  beginning  to  thirst 
for  learning,  and  are  cultivating  a  taste  for  im 
provement  more  than  ever. 

3.  Native  teachers  are  now  being  trained  to  go 
to  their  brethren,  and  preach  to  them  in  their  own 
language,  Christ,  and  him  crucified.      By  this 
means  the  nation  must  be  elevated. 

Our  prospects  as  a  nation,  are  becoming  brighter 
through  missionary  efforts.     There  are  many  in 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  207 

Wisconsin,  and  at  Lake  du  Flambeau,  who  have 
requested  that  missionaries  be  sent  along  the 
south  shore  of  Lake  Superior.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  those  residing  about  Winepeg  and  Red 
Lakes.  Much  of  the  western  part  of  Red  Lake, 
is  full  of  "the  habitations  of  cruelty ;"  for  the 
Chippewas  and  Sioux  are  habitually  destroying 
each  other. 

I  will  here  give  extracts  from  the  Report  of  the 
Commissioners,  in  1842,  to  the  Provincial  Parlia 
ment,  relative  to  the  Mission  Stations ;  also  sub 
join  the  names  of  the  villages  with  their  condi 
tion,  and  the  chiefs  of  each  village,  as  far  as  I 
could  ascertain  them,  which  will  show  their  pro 
gress,  and  their  present  state ;  and  also  those  who 
have  abandoned  the  wigwam  and  the  chase,  and 
resort  to  farming  for  a  living. 

1.  CHIPPEWAS  OF  THE  RIVER  THAMES. 

The  Chippewas  and  Munsees  occupy  a  tract  of  land  contain 
ing  about  9000  acres,  in  the  Township  of  Caradoc,  within  the 
London  District,  at  a  distance  of  about  twenty-five  miles  from 
the  Moravian  village.  It  is  only  within  ten  years  that  the  Chip 
pewas  have  been  reclaimed  from  a  wandering  life,  and  settled 
in  their  present  location.  The  Munsees  have  been  settled  since 
the  year  1800,  on  land  belonging  to  the  Chippewas,  with  the 


208  THE    LIFE    OF 

consent  of  that  tribe.     The  present  number  of  Chippewas  is 
378,  and  of  Munsees  242. 

The  Chippewas  and  Munsees  are  not  collected  in  a  village, 
but  live  on  small  farms  scattered  over  their  tract.  Some  of  the 
Chippewas  are  settled  on  surveyed  lots  of  twenty  acres  each. 
This  tribe  occupies  76  log  houses,  and  six  wigwams ;  they  pos 
sess  25  barns.  They  have  450  acres  under  cultivation.  Their 
stock  consists  of  30  oxen,  27  cows,  44  heifers,  82  horses  and 
colts,  and  400  swine.  Their  agricultural  implements  include 
9  ploughs,  9  harrows,  23  scythes  and  sickles,  19  ox  chains,  a 
fanning  mill,  4  wagons  and  carts,  7  spades,  &c.  ;  they  have  a 
blacksmith's  forge,  and  two  and  a  half  setts  of  carpenters'  tools. 

JOHN  RILEY,  Chief. 

2.  THE  CHIPPEWAS  AT  AMHERSTBURG. 

They  all  profess  Christianity,  and  several  of  them  are  exam 
ples  of  true  piety.  The  majority  are  Wesleyan  Methodists, 
and  the  others  Roman  Catholics.  They  have  no  place  of  Wor 
ship  of  their  own.  They  can  command  the  means.  The  Me 
thodist  minister,  however,  who  is  stationed  in  the  town  of  Am- 
herstburg,  visits  those  of  his  persuasion  every  Sunday,  and 
with  the  aid  of  an  Interpreter,  preaches,  reads  and  expounds 
the  Scripture  to  them.  They  also  have  a  general  Prayer 
Meeting  among  themselves,  once  a  fortnight,  and  they  meet 
occasionally  more  privately  for  social  prayer ;  some  of  them 
maintain  family  worship.  The  Roman  Catholics  attend  chapel 
at  Amherstburg,  which  is  about  three  miles  from  their  settle 
ment. 

There  is  at  present  no  school  among  them,  but  they  have 
expressed  their  desire  to  establish  one,  and  would  gladly  avail 
themselves  of  instruction  for  their  children.  When  there  was 
one,  the  attendance  of  the  scholars  was  very  irregular,  but  their 
ability  in  acquiring  knowledge  was  in  no  way  inferior  to  that 
of  the  white  children. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  209 

3.  CHIPPEWAS  OF  THE  ST.  GLAIR. 

These  Indians  are  among  the  first  whom  Sir  John  Colborne 
endeavored  to  settle  and  civilize.  Previously  to  1830,  they 
were  wandering  heathens  like  their  brethren  elsewhere,  scat 
tered  over  the  western  part  of  the  Upper  Province  ;  they  were 
drunken  and  dissipated  in  their  habits,  and  without  either  reli 
gious  or  moral  restraint.  In  1830  and  31,  a  number  of  them 
were  collected  on  a  reserve  in  the  Township  of  Sarnia,  near 
the  head  of  the  River  St.  Clair,  and  containing  10,280  acres. 
A  number  of  houses  were  built  for  them,  and  an  officer  was  ap 
pointed  for  their  superintendence.  Their  conversion  to  Christi 
anity  and  their  progress  in  religious  knowledge,  and  in  the  ac 
quisition  of  sober,  orderly  and  industrious  habits,  have  been  un 
der  the  care  of  Missionaries  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Society, 
both  rapid  and  uniform.  From  the  formation  of  the  mission 
221  adults  and  239  children,  have  been  baptized  and  admitted 
into  the  Methodist  Community.  The  total  number  up  to  the 
year  1839 — 40,  does  not  appear  to  have  exceeded  350.  Since 
then  their  number  has  increased  greatly  by  immigration,  chiefly 
from  the  Saginaw  Bay,  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  and  by  the 
settlement  of  wandering  Indians;  and  in  1842,  as  many  as  741 
received  presents. 

The  Indians  of  the  River  aux  Sables  have  about  sixty  acres 
under  improvement,  and  one  log  house.  Those  at  Kettle 
Point  have  twenty  acres  improved  land  and  two  log  houses. 
The  land  on  the  Upper  Reserve  was  regularly  surveyed  and 
laid  out  into  farms.  The  Chief,  with  the  approval  of  the  Super 
intendent,  placed  most  of  the  present  occupants  on  these  lands, 
but  it  is  not  indispensable  that  he  should  be  consulted,  as  the 
members  of  the  tribe  may  choose  any  unoccupied  spot ;  when 
once  in  possession  they  are  secure  from  intrusion,  but  repeated 
ill  conduct  or  drunkenness  would  subject  them  to  be  expelled 
from  the  reserve  of  the  Chief, 

WA-WA-NOSH, 
SALT. 


210  THE   LIFE    OF 

4.  CHIPPEWAS  AT  WALPOLE  ISLAND. 

These  Indians  are  also  known  under  the  name  of  Chippe- 
was  of  Chenaille  Ecarte.  The  Chippewas  who  have  long 
hunted  over  the  waste  lands  about  the  Chenaille  Ecarte  and 
Bear  Creek,  are  a  branch  of  the  same  nation  which  is  settled  in 
Sarnia,  and  share  in  the  same  annuity. 

The  Poltawatamies  are  recent  immigrants  from  the  United 
States. 

The  settlement  at  Walpole  Island  was  commenced  at  the 
close  of  the  American  war,  when  Col.  M'Kie,  called  by  the 
Indians  "  White  Elk,"  collected  and  placed  upon  the  island 
which  lies  at  the  junction  of  the  River  and  Lake  St.  Clair,  the 
scattered  remains  of  some  tribes  of  Chippewas  who  had  been 
engaged  on  the  British  side.  Being  left  for  many  years  with 
out  any  interference  or  assistance  on  the  part  of  the  Govern 
ment,  they  became  a  prey  to  the  profligate  whites  settled  on  the 
frontier,  who,  by  various  frauds  and  in  moments  of  intoxica 
tion,  obtained  leases  and  took  possession  of  the  most  fertile  and 
valuable  part  of  the  island. 

5.  CHIPPEWAS  OF  THE  RIVER  CREDIT. 

These  Indians  are  the  remnant  of  a  tribe  which  formerly 
possessed  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Home  and  Gore  Dis 
tricts,  of  which,  in  1818,  they  surrendered  the  greater  part,  for 
an  annuity  of  £532.10,  reserving  only  certain  small  tracts  at 
the  River  Credit,  and  at  Sixteen  and  Twelve  Mile  Creeks. 
They  were  the  first  tribe  converted  to  Christianity  in  Upper 
Canada. 

Previous  to  the  year  1823,  they  were  wandering  pagans.  In 
that  year,  Messrs.  Peter  and  John  Jones,  the  sons  of  a  white 
surveyor,  and  a  Mississaga  woman  having  been  converted  to 
Christianity,  and  admitted  members  of  the  Wesleyan  Metho 
dist  Church,  became  anxious  to  redeem  their  countrymen  from 
their  degraded  state  of  heathenism  and  destitution.  They, 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  211 

accordingly,  collected  a  considerable  number  together,  and  by 
rote  and  frequently  repetitions,  taught  the  first  principles  of 
Christianity  to  the  adults,  who  were  too  far  advanced  in  years 
to  learn  to  read  and  write.  In  this  manner  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
the  Creed,  and  the  Commandments,  were  committed  to  memo 
ry.  As  soon  as  the  tribes  were  converted,  they  perceived  the 
evils  attendant  on  their  former  state  of  ignorance  and  vagrancy. 
They  began  to  work,  which  they  never  had  done  before ;  they 
recognized  the  advantage  of  cultivating  the  soil ;  they  totally 
gave  up  drinking,  to  which  they  had  been  greatly  addicted,  and 
became  sober,  industrious,  and  consistent  Christians. 

J,  SAWYER,      )  r, .  , 
P.  JONES,          I  Chzefs' 

J.  JONES,  War  Chief. 

6.  THE  CHIPPEWAS  OF  ALNWICK. 

These  Indians  were  converted  to  Christianity  in  the  years 
1826-7.  They  were  then  pagans,  wandering  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Belleville,  Kingston,  and  Gananoque,  and  were  known 
under  the  name  of  the  Mississagas  of  the  Bay  of  Quinte ;  in 
those  years,  between  200  and  300  were  received  into  the  Wes- 
leyan  Methodist  Church,  and  settled  on  Grape  Island,  in  the 
Bay  of  Quinte,  six  miles  from  Belleville,  where  they  commenc- 
|  ed  planting,  and  where  schools  were  established  by  the  mis 
sionary  for  their  instruction.  On  this  island  they  resided 
eleven  years,  subsisting  by  agriculture  and  hunting.  Their 
houses  were  erected  partly  by  their  own  labor,  and  partly  at 
the  expense  of  the  Methodist  Missionary  Society.  The  number, 
at  length,  amounted  to  twenty-three ;  besides  which,  they  had 
a  commodious  building  for  religious  service  and  schools,  anoth 
er  room  for  an  infant  school,  a  hospital,  a  smithery,  a  shoema 
ker's  shop,  and  a  building  for  joiners'  and  cabinet  work. 

SUNDAY, 
SIMPSON. 

G.  COMEGO,  Ch.  <$•  M.  Inter. 


212  THE   LIFE   OF 

7.  CHIPPEWAS  AT  RICE  LAKE. 

These  Indians  belong  to  the  same  tribe,  the  Mississagas  or 
Chippewas  of  Rice  Lake,  who  in  1818,  surrendered  the  greater 
part  of  the  tract  now  forming  the  Newcastle  District,  for  an 
annuity  of  £740.  They  have  all  been  reclaimed  from  their 
primitive  wandering  life,  and  settled  in  their  present  locations 
within  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years. 

The  Rice  Lake  settlement  is  on  the  northern  side  of  the  lake, 
and  at  about  twelve  miles  from  Peterborough.  The  number  of 
Indians  is  1 14.  They  possess  about  1550  acres  of  land,  which 
are  subdivided  into  50  acre  lots;  of  this,  1120  acres  were 
granted  in  April,  1834,  to  trustees,  "  in  trust,  to  hold  the  same 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Indian  tribes  in  the  Province,  and  with  a 
view  to  their  conversion  and  civilization  ;"  and  the  remaining 
430  have  been  since  purchased  with  their  own  funds.  They 
have  rather  more  land  cleared  than  the  Indians  of  Alnwick, 
about  400  acres ;  but  the  cultivation  is  not  so  good.  The  vil 
lage  contains  thirty  houses,  three  barns,  a  school-house,  and  a 
chapel  with  a  bell.  The  Head  Chief  of  the  tribe  resides  here. 
For  some  time  these  Indians  were  under  the  charge  of  an  offi 
cer  appointed  by  the  Indian  Department,  who  assisted  in  their 
settlement ;  but  at  present  they  have  no  special  Superinten 
dent. 

POUDASH,  ) 
COPWAY,   [Chiefs. 
CROW,         ) 

8.  CHIPPEWAS  AT  MUD  LAKE. 

The  Mud  Lake  Indians  are  settled  on  a  point  of  land  on  the 
Mud  or  Chemong  Lake,  sixteen  miles  north-west  of  Peterbo 
rough.  They  are  ninety-four  in  number,  and  possess  twenty 
dwelling  houses,  with  three  stables.  They  occupy  a  grant  of 
1600  acres  in  the  Township  of  Smith,  made  to  the  New  Eng 
land  Company  for  their  benefit,  in  April,  1837,  of  which  about 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  213 

200  acres  are  in  cultivation.  These  Indians  were  for  some 
time  under  the  management  of  the  late  Mr,  Scott,  agent  for 
the  New  England  Company,  and  belong  to  the  Wesleyan  Me* 
thodist  Church.  A  chapel  is  in  the  course  of  erection  at  the 
village,  where  there  is  already  a  mission  house  and  a  school. 

NOGEE,          ) 
IRON,  }  Chiefs. 

McKUE.          ) 

9.  ChiPPEWAs  AT  BALSAM  LAKE. 

The  Balsam  Lake  Indians,  ninety  in  number,  are  at  present 
settled  within  the  Township  of  Bexley,  on  a  point  of  land  jut 
ting  out  into  Lake  Balsam,  which  is  the  most  northerly  of  the 
chain  of  lakes,  running  northwest  across  the  back  Townships 
of  the  District  of  Newcastle.  The  Reserve  which  was  granted 
to  them  by  the  Crown,  is  1206  acres  in  extent.  Of  this  they 
have  about  200  acres  in  cultivation.  Their  village  contains 
twelve  houses,  a  barn,  and  a  commodious  school-house,  in 
which  divine  service  is  performed  by  a  resident  Methodist  mis 
sionary.  But  within  the  present  year,  (1843,)  these  Indians 
having  become  dissatisfied  with  the  climate  and  the  quality  of 
the  land  at  the  Balsam  Lake,  have  purchased  six  hundred 
acres  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Scugog,  to  be  paid  out  of  their 
share  of  their  annuity,  and  are  making  preparations  for  remov 
ing  from  their  former  settlement.  Their  improvements  will  be 
sold  for  their  benefit.  Their  reason  for  removing  evinces  their 
desire  to  advance  in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture. 

CRANE,  Chief. 

10.  CHIPPEWAS  OF  RAMA. 

These  Indians  formerly  occupied  the  lands  about  Lake  Sim- 
coe,  Holland  River,  and  the  unsettled  country  in  the  rear  of  the 
Home  District.  Genaral  Darling  reported  of  them  in  1828, 
that  they  had  expressed  a  strong  desire  to  be  admitted  to  Chris 
tianity,  and  to  adopt  the  habits  of  civilized  life ;  and  that  in 

27 


214  THE    LIFE    OF 

these  respects  they  might  be  classed  with  the  Mississagas  of 
the  Bay  of  Quinte  and  Rice  Lake,  but  were  then  in  a  more  sa 
vage  state.  In  1830,  Lieutenant-Governor  Sir  J.  Colborne, 
collected  them  on  a  tract  of  land  on  the  northwest  shore  of 
Lake  Simcoe,  of  9800  acres  in  extent,  where  they  cleared  a 
road  between  that  lake  and  Lake  Huron.  They  consisted  of 
three  tribes  of  Chippewas,  under  Chiefs  Yellowhead,  Aisance, 
and  Snake,  and  a  band  of  Pottiwatamies  from  Drummond 
Island ;  their  number  was  about  500,  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Anderson,  now  the  Superintendent  at  Manitoulin,  who  was  ap 
pointed  to  take  charge  of  their  settlement  and  civilization  ;  they 
made  a  rapid  progress.  The  tribe  under  the  Chief  Yellow- 
head,  now  settled  at  Rama,  were  located  at  the  Narrows  on 
Lake  Simcoe  ;  Aisance's  tribe,  at  present  residing  at  Beauso- 
leil,  Matchadash  Bay,  was  settled  at  Coldwater,  at  the  other 
extremity  of  the  Reserve,  the  distance  between  them  being 
fourteen  miles. 

YELLOWHEAD,  } 

NA-NAH-GE-SKUNG,   [  Chiefs. 
BIG  SHILLINGS. 

11.  CHIFPEWAS  OF  BEAUSOLIEL  ISLAND,  MATCHADASH  BAY, 
LAKE  HURON. 

This  band,  under  the  chief  "  Aisance,"  is  the  same  which 
was  settled  by  Sir  John  Colborne,  at  Coldwater.  Their  pre 
sent  village,  which  is  not  very  distant  from  the  former  settle 
ment,  was  only  commenced  last  year.  It  contains  fourteen 
houses,  and  a  barn :  the  number  of  the  band  is  232.  They 
have  about  100  acres  under  cultivation. 

The  majority  of  these  Indians  are  Roman  Catholics.  They 
have  not  as  yet  any  place  of  worship,  or  school.  In  the  former 
settlement  they  were  occasionally  visited  by  the  Roman  Catho 
lic,  priest,  resident  at  Penetanguishene. 


AISANCE,  I 

JAMES  KA-DAH-GE-QUON,  J 


Chiefs. 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  215 

12.  CHIPPEWAS  OF  SNAKE  ISLAND,  LAKE  SIMCOE. 

This  body  of  Indians  was  one  of  the  three  bands  established 
at  Cold  water  and  the  Narrows,  and  separated  from  them  on 
the  abandonment  of  those  settlements.  They  now  occupy  one 
of  the  three  Islands  on  Lake  Simcoe,  which  were  set  apart  for 
this  tribe  many  years  ago.  They  are  109  in  number,  and  oc 
cupy  twelve  dwelling  houses.  They  have  also  two  barns  and 
a  school  house,  in  which  their  children  are  instructed  by  a  re 
spectable  teacher,  and  Divine  Service  is  performed  by  a  resi 
dent  Missionary  of  the  Methodist  persuasion,  to  which  these 
Indians  belong.  They  have  about  150  acres  in  cultivation, 
and  are  improving  in  habits  of  industry  and  agricultural  skill. 
Their  Missionary,  who  has  been  acquainted  with  them  since 
July  1839,  states  that  the  majority  of  them  are  strictly  moral 
in  their  character,  that  most  of  the  adults  are  decidedly  pious, 
and  that  many  of  them  for  consistency  of  character,  would  not 
suffer  by  a  comparison  with  white  Christians  of  any  denomina 
tion. 

J.  SNAKE,  Chief. 

13.  CHIPPEWAS  or  SAUGEEN,  (LAKE  HURON.) 

It  was  from  these  Indians,  and  their  brethren,  since  settled 
at  Owen's  Sound,  that  Sir  Francis  Head,  in  1836,  obtained  a 
surrender  of  the  vast  tract  of  land  lying  north  of  the  London 
and  Gore  Districts,  and  between  the  Home  District  and  Lake 
Huron,  containing  about  1,600,000  acres.  He  reserved  at 
the  same  time,  for  the  Indians,  the  extensive  peninsula,  lying 
between  Lake  Huron  and  Georgian  Bay,  north  of  Owen's 
Sound,  and  supposed  to  contain  about  450,000  acres. 

J.  METEGOUB, 
ALEXANDER,          }  Chief t. 
AH-YAH-BANCE, 


21  G  THE   LIFE   OF 

14.  Ciiii'i'KWAs  OF  BIG  BAY,  IN  OWEN'S  SOUND,  LAKE  HURON. 

These  Indians  were  formerly  either  wanderers  in  the  Sau- 
geen  tract,  surrendered  to  Sir'  F.  Head,  or  live  in  scattered 
wigwams,  on  the  shores. of  Big  Buy.  According  to  the  agree 
ment  then  made  with  them,  it  was  proposed  that  they  should 
cither  repair  to  Manitoulin  or  to  that  part  of  their  former  terri 
tory  which  lies  north  of  Owen's  Sound ;  upon  which  it  was 
promised  '*  that  houses  should  be  built  for  them,  arid  proper 
assistance  given,  to  enable  them  to  become  civilized,  and  to 
cultivate  land." 

JOHN  JONES,  )  rjt .  , 
PETER,  1 Chuf5' 

15.    ClIIITEWAS  AND  OTHERS,  IN  THE  TOWNSHIP  OF  BEDFORD. 

Within  a  few  years  past,  some  stragglers  from  the  Rice  Lake 
tribe  have  settled  in  the  Township  of  Bedford,  about  twenty- 
five  miles  north  of  the  town  of  Kingston ;  and  recently,  they 
have  been  joined  by  a  band  of  eighty-one  Indians  from  Lower 
Canada,  belonging  to  the  post  of  the  Lake  of  Two  Mountains. 
As  the  settlement  is  of  recent  formation,  and  the  claim  of  these 
Indians  upon  the  attention  of  the  Department  of  Upper  Canada, 
has  only  been  brought  forward  last  year,  they  have  not  yet  been 
visited  by  any  officer  of  the  Department,  and  no  account  can  be 
given  of  the  settlement.  By  Instructions  issued  in  1843,  they 
were  transferred  from  the  Roll  of  Lower  Canada  to  that  of  the 
Upper  Province,  and,  accordingly,  received  their  presents  for 
the  first  time  in  that  Province. 


My  beloved  Reader  —  I  am  now  about  closing 
my  narrative,  and  in  doing  this,  there  are  but  a  few 
things  to  say.  Throughout  the  work,  I  have 
confined  my  remarks  chiefly  to  iny  own  nation. 


K  AH-GE-GA-G  AH-BO  Wl  1 .  2\7 

But  it  must  not  be  supposed,  on  this  account, 
that  I  am  forgetful  of  my  brethren  of  the  other 
Indian  nations.  The  prayers  and  benevolent 
efforts  of  all  Christendom  should  be  directed  to 
wards  all  men  every  where.  The  gospel  should 
be  preached  to  every  creature ;  and  the  field  is 
the  wide  WORLD. 

The  Menomenees  in  Wisconsin,  the  Wineba- 
goes  and  Potawatamees  in  Iowa,  the  warlike  na 
tions  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  the  Osages,  Pawnees, 
Mandans,  Kansas,  Creeks,  Omuhas,  Otoes,  Dele- 
wares,  lowas,  and  a  number  of  others  elsewhere, 
must  perish  as  did  their  brethren  in  the  Eastern 
States,  unless  the  white  man  send  them  the  Go 
spel,  and  the  blessings  of  education.  There  is 
field  enough  for  all  denominations  to  labor  in, 
without  interfering  with  each  other.  It  is  too 
late  in  the  day  to  assert  that  the  Indians  cannot 
be  raised  up  out  of  their  degraded  state,  and  edu 
cated  for  God  and  heaven.  None  need  be  dis 
couraged  since  the  Ojebwas  in  Western  Canada 
have  been  converted.  No  language;  is  Jidcfjiialc 
to  portray  the  misery,  wretchedness,  arid  degra- 


218  THE   LIFE   OF 

dation  in  which  we  were,  when  the  word  of  God 
was  first  brought  and  preached  to  us. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  detail  each,  and  every 
wrong,  that  my  poor  people  have  suffered  at  the 
hands  of  the  white  man.  Enough  has  already 
been  said  in  various  parts  of  the  work,  to  prove 
that  they  have  been  most  grossly  abused,  peeled, 
and  wronged.  Nor  shall  I  notice  the  personal 
wrongs  that  I  myself  have  received;  and  from 
those  too,  of  whom  I  had  good  reason  to  hope 
better  things.  I  once  thought,  that  there  were 
some  things  that  I  could  never  forgive  ;  but  the 
religion  of  Jesus,  and  the  law  of  love,  have  taught 
me  differently.  I  do  forgive  them ;  and  may  God 
forgive  them  and  me  too. 

I  have  sometimes  heard  it  said,  that  our  fore 
fathers  were  cruel  to  the  forefathers  of  the  whites. 
But  was  not  this  done  through  ignorance,  or  in 
self  defense  ?  Had  your  fathers  adopted  the  plan 
of  the  great  philanthropist,  William  Penn,  nei 
ther  fields,  nor  clubs,  nor  waters,  would  have  been 
crimsoned  with  each  others  blood.  The  white 
men  have  been  like  the  greedy  lion,  pouncing 
upon  and  devouring  its  prey.  They  have  driven 


KAH-GE-GA-GAH-BOWH.  219 

us  from  our  nation,  our  homes,  and  possessions ; 
compelled  us  to  seek  a  refuge  in  Missouri,  among 
strangers,  and  wild  beasts;  and  will,  perhaps, 
soon  compel  us  to  scale  the  Rocky  Mountains ; 
and,  for  aught  I  can  tell,  we  may  yet  be  driven 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  there  to  find  our  graves. 
My  only  trust  is,  that  there  is  a  just  God.  Was 
it  to  perpetrate  such  acts  that  you  have  been  ex 
alted  above  all  other  nations  ?  Providence  in 
tended  you  for  a  blessing  and  not  a  curse  to  us. 
You  have  sent  your  missionaries  to  Burmah,  Chi 
na,  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  to  almost  every 
part  of  the  world ;  and  shall  the  Indians  perish 
at  your  own  door? 

Is  it  not  well  known  that  the  Indians  have  a 
generous  and  magnanimous  heart  ?  I  feel  proud 
to  mention  in  this  connection,  the  names  of  a  Po- 
cahontas,  Massasoit,  Skenandoah,  Logan,  Kusic, 
Pushmataha,  Philip,  Tecumseh,  Osceola,  Petale- 
sharro,  and  thousands  of  others.  Such  names 
are  an  honor  to  the  world  !  Let  a  late  Governor 
of  Massachusetts*  speak  for  our  fathers,  when 
they  first  beheld  the  trembling  white  man :  — 

*  Edward  Everett,  Esq. 


220  THE    LIFE    OF 

"  Brothers !  when  our  fathers  came  over  the 
great  waters,  they  were  a  small  band.  The  red 
man  stood  upon  the  rock  by  the  seaside,  and  saw 
our  fathers.  He  might  have  pushed  them  into 
the  water  and  drowned  them.  But  he  stretched 
out  his  arm  to  our  fathers  and  said,  '  Welcome, 
white  men  ! '  Our  fathers  were  hungry,  and  the 
red  man  gave  them  corn  and  venison.  Our  fa 
thers  were  cold,  and  the  red  man  wrapped  them 
up  in  his  blanket.  We  are  now  numerous  and 
powerful,  but  we  remember  the  kindness  of  the 
red  man  to  our  fathers." 

And  what  have  we  received  since,  in  return  ? 
Is  it  for  the  deeds  of  a  Pocahontas,  a  Massasoit, 
and  a  host  of  others,  that  we  have  been  plunder 
ed,  and  oppressed,  and  expelled  from  the  hallow 
ed  graves  of  our  ancestors  ?  If  help  cannot  be 
obtained  from  England  and  America,  where  else 
can  we  look  ?  Will  you  then,  lend  us  a  helping 
hand ;  and  make  some  amends  for  past  injuries  ? 

It  is  often  said,  that  the  Indians  are  revengeful, 
cruel,  and  ungovernable.  But  go  to  them  with  no 
thing  but  the  BIBLE  in  your  hands,  and  LOVE  in  your 
hearts,  and  you  may  live  with  them  in  perfect 


K  AH*G  E*G  A-G  AH-BO  WH .  22 1 

safety,  share  their  morsel  with  them,  and,  like 
the  celebrated  Bartram,  return  to  your  homes  UN 
HARMED.  They  very  soon  learn  to  venerate  the 
Bible ;  as  a  proof  of  this,  I  will  give  an  instance, 
that  came  under  my  own  eye :  —  While  at  the 
Rabbit  River  Mission,  a  chief  from  the  west, 
visited  me.  After  reading  to  him  several  chap 
ters  from  the  Bible,  he  said,  with  much  surprise, 
"  Is  this  the  book,  that  I  hear  so  much  about  in 
my  country  ?  "  I  replied,  yes ;  and  these  are  the 
words  of  Ke-sha-mon-e-doo  (the  Great  Spirit). 
"  Will  you  not,"  said  he,  "  give  me  one?  I  wish 
to  show  it  to  my  people."  I  told  him,  not  with 
out  you  first  promise  that  you  will  take  care  of 
it.  He  promised  me  that  he  would.  I  handed 
it  to  him;  he  took  it,  and  turned  it  over  and  over; 
and  then  exclaimed,  "Wonderful,  wonderful!  this 
is  the  book  of  the  Great  Spirit  /"  He  then  wrapped 
it  up  in  a  silk  handkerchief,  and  the  handkerchief 
in  three  or  four  folds  of  cloth.  I  heard,  after 
wards,  from  the  trader,  that  the  book  was  still 
kept  sacred.  O,  if  my  poor  brother  could  but 
read  and  understand  that  blessed  volume,  how 

soon  would  his  dumb  idols  be  "  cast  down  to  the 

28 


222  THE    LIFE    OF 

moles  and  to  the  bats ! "  Will  no  one  go  and 
tell  him  and  his  nation,  of  the  boundless,  be 
seeching,  bleeding,  dying  love  of  a  Saviour ;  and 
urge  upon  them  the  importance  of  such  a  prepa 
ration  of  heart,  as  will  enable  them  "  to  give  up 
their  account  with  joy  ? "  The  Great  Spirit  is  no 
respecter  of  persons ;  He  has  made  of  one  blood 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth ;  He  loves  all  his  child 
ren  alike ;  and  his  highest  attributes  are  love,  mercy, 
and  justice.  If  this  be  so,  —  and  who  dare  doubt 
it?  —  will  He  not  stretch  out  his  hand  and  help 
them,  and  avenge  their  wrongs?  "If  offences 
must  come,"  let  it  be  recollected,  that  woe  is  de 
nounced  against  them  "  from  whom  they  come." 

I  again  propose  that  the  territories  of  the  In 
dians  in  the  British  dominions,  be  annexed  to  that 
Government,  and  those  in  the  American  domi 
nions  to  the  Federal  Union.  And,  finally,  in  the 
language  of  that  excellent,  magnanimous,  and 
benevolent  friend  of  the  poor  children  of  the 
forest,  Col.  Thomas  McKenney,  I  would  say, 

"I  have  already  referred,  in  the  commence 
ment  of  this  proposal  to  annex  the  Indian  terri 
tory  to  our  Union,  to  those  good  men,  who,  in  the 


K  AH-GE-G  A-G  AH-BOWH . 

character  of  missionaries,  have  kept  side  by  side 
with  the  Indians  in  so  many  of  their  afflictions 
and  migrations.     I  will  again  refer  to  them,  and 
implore  them  by  all  the  lost  labor  of  the  past,  and 
by  the  hopes  of  the  future ;  by  the  critical  condi 
tion  of  the  pacific  relations  that  exist  between 
the  Indians  and  us ;  and  by  the  sacredness  of  the 
cause  in  which  they  are  engaged,  to  look  well 
and  earnestly  into  this  subject,  and  learn  from 
the  past  what  must  attend  upon  their  labors  in 
the  future,  if  the  change  I  propose,  or  some  other 
change  equivalent  to  it,  be  not  brought  about. 
And,  seeing,  as  they  must  see,  that  the  plan  I 
propose,  or  some  other,  is  indispensable  to  the 
success  they  seek  to  command,  I  implore  them 
to  take  up  the  subject  in  all  its  bearings,  and 
by  the   instrumentalities  which   they   have   at 
command,   manufacture,    collect,   and    embody 
public  opinion,  in  regard  to  what  may  be  deter 
mined  to  be  done ;  and  by  memorial,  and  per 
sonal  agencies,  bring  this  opinion  to  bear  upon 
Congress,  with  whom  alone  the  power  is  vested, 
to  redeem,  disenthrall,  and  save,  and  bless,  the 
remnants  of  this  aboriginal  race.      And  I  make 


224  THE    LIFE    OF 

the  same  appeal  to  all  the  good,  of  all  religious 
persuasions,  both  in  the  Church  and  out  of  it, 
and  politicians  of  all  parties,  to  second  this  at 
tempt,  feeble  as  I  know  it  to  be,  to  save  the  In 
dians,  and  consolidate,  and  perpetuate  peace  be 
tween  them  and  us,  and  by  so  doing,  ward  off 
the  terrible  retribution  which  must  sooner  or 
later,  unless  it  be  averted,  fall  upon  this  nation/' 


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